What Starts, Has to End
by DarkHeartsUnleashed
Summary: What started out as a picnic for the jonins, turned into something else. On the way back to Konoha, Kakashi's life is turned upside down. Rated T.
1. The Picnic

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If i did, Kakashi would be with Anko and unlike AsumaxKurenai, it would very subtle hints to their relationship so only people really paying attention would put two and two together and get KakaAnko.

This is for my friend ConverseManiac because a lot of my really random story ideas come from our insane conversations. :) enjoy.

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It was one of the mid spring days where the sun poked through the clouds and warmed the earth and the flowers bloomed. It also happened to be the day Lady Tsunade had given most of the Jonins off. A week ago when the day was planned, the Jonins had decided to go on a picnic and get out of the village where they had been confined most of the winter.

Of course, the plans had gone downhill. Izumo and Kotetsu had gotten sick on gate duty and decided to stay home and rest. Shizune had to help Lady Tsunade on this particular Wednesday, so she couldn't go. Gai was doing some special training with Rock Lee so he was out, not that Kakashi was complaining there. Asuma and Kurenai… well they had some things to talk about…

Down to the point, there were now only three Jonins going on the picnic: Kakashi himself, Anko, and Genma. Kakashi sighed and hefted the basket onto his back. Somehow, he'd got elected as the basket carrier. He didn't really mind since he could still walk and read his Icha Icha, but the sight he saw at the gate stopped him dead in his tracks.

Quickly, he started walking again and hoped she hadn't noticed his stop. Anko was waiting by the gate with Genma. Genma was looking away from her and Kakashi didn't blame him.

Instead of her normal fishnets and trench coat, Anko was wearing a tight white shirt that faintly showed the outline of her bikini underneath and instead of her mini skirt she was wearing a pair of black shorts that hugged her legs and showed her shapely figure.

_Don't tell me she's actually planning on swimming,_ thought Kakashi._ It's a nice day but the water's sure to be freezing. Then again… Anko is a bit crazy._ Kakashi stopped thinking about it when he reached the gate and received a glare from Anko.

"Your late," she said tartly.

"Sorry, I got lost on the road of life." He replied, putting no effort into lying to her. Of all people, she knew him best.

"Let's just go." With that, she led the way through the gate.

Genma smiled apologetically at Kakashi, but other than that they exchanged no words. It was a 20 minuet walk to reach the lakeshore. However, it didn't go smoothly. About 5 minuets in, Genma tripped over a tree root.

Kakashi offered him a hand and helped him up. Genma winced as he put weight on his left ankle. "You ok?" Kakashi asked.

Genma shook his head. "My ankle's twisted if not sprained."

Anko looked disappointed. "I guess we'll have to call off our trip to the lake."

Seeing the look on her face Genma quickly objected. Everyone knew how Anko was if she was confined to the village to long. "No, no, you two can go without me. I'll get back to the village somehow."

Kakashi looked at Anko. "Wait here. We're close enough that I can poof there and back." He took the basket off his back and helped Genma back to his feet. With some quick hand jesters, both he and Genma were in front of the hospital. He walked Genma in and sat him in a chair where he could wait to have his ankle looked at.

Before Kakashi left, Genma smiled sadly at him. "I'm sorry to leave you alone with her man."

Kakashi shrugged. "I'm on a team with Naruto and Sakura. I'll live. Besides, it's better me than you." Secretly, Genma agreed. Then he poofed back to where a slightly impatient Anko was waiting.

"Well let's go already!" she snapped.

Kakashi groaned inwardly. "Ok ok, just let me get the food." He lifted the basket back onto his back and they continued walking. Kakashi decided it was best not to read Icha Icha and risk tripping as well. Anko would murder him if he fell as well and the trip was called off.

The rest of the walk pasted in silence. When the emerged at the lake, Kakashi quickly opened the basket and pulled out a large towel and umbrella. He set them up and sat under the umbrella, pulling out his Icha Icha.

"Not that book _again_ Kakashi." He may have been her best friend, but she didn't see why he liked that series so much. She had tried reading one once and found it rather dull.

"Huh?" Kakashi peeked over the top of his book just in time to see Anko stretching her arms out and arching her back in the sun.

"Gawd, it feels so good to be in the sunlight," she purred.

_She's so feline_, Kakashi thought. He had noticed this at multiple points in the past, but he'd never thought she looked more like a cat than she did now. Kakashi blushed behind the mask when an image of Anko with ears and a tail flashed into his mind. He shook is head. He shouldn't be thinking about his best friend like this.

Kakashi put his book down. For a spring day it was unusually hot, Kakashi was sweating under hid simple black shirt and tan shorts. With a sigh, he pulled his shirt over his head, glad he hadn't worn one of his shirts where the mask was attached.

What he missed as he was rummaging in the basket for some sunscreen, was Anko looking at how finely sculpted his muscles were. She shivered and looked away. "Hey Kakashi?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah?" He was a bit startled at the sight of her in a bikini. He felt his eyes drifting over her curves by their own accord.

Blushing slightly, she asked, "Um do you think you could… do my back for me…"

Under his mask, Kakashi blushed as well. "Sure Anko, anything for my best friend." At the look in her eye he said, "Anything within reason and asking me to take off the mask _isn't_ within reason."

"Aww," she pouted as he walked over to her. He pinched her cheeks. "Hey!"

Kakashi chuckled. "You deserved it."

"What for?" she asked playfully.

"I'm not putting your sunscreen on for free." He smiled.

She shoved him lightly. "You're such a perv!"

"I know, you know, the whole world knows," he replied.

She chuckled and turned her back to him. "Now if you wouldn't mind Kakashi."

He squeezed some sunscreen into his hand and began rubbing it into Anko's back and shoulders. She shivered a bit as she felt his hands running over her lower back. "Is the sunscreen cold?" he asked.

"A bit," she lied. Kakashi wasn't convinced, but he let it slide. "Need help with yours?" she asked.

"Nope. I had a shadow clone do it before I left."

"Ok." She hid her disappointment. "I'm going to swim now."

"I'll call you when it's lunch time." He said and made to go back and sit on the large beach towel.

Her hands grabbed his arm. "Just where do you think you're going?" she asked sternly.

"Where does it look like? To read my book." He wondered, not for the first time, what on earth was going on through her mind.

She pulled him in the opposite direction, towards the water. "Oh no you don't, you're coming swimming with me." She grinned evilly. "Now be a good boy and come on."

He tried to pull his arm out of her grasp to no avail. "Anko, let me go. I don't want to go swimming." She wasn't listening. "Anko, if you get me wet, you're going to regret it."

"Kakashi, I think I'll regret it even more if you don't swim with me." She pulled him into the surf until they stood knee deep. "I'll let you go if you take your mask off."

Slowly, he reached his free arm up to his face. Behind the mask he smirked. "JUST KIDDING!" he yelled as he tackled her, sending them both into the water. Anko lost her grip on his arm. She stood up coughing.

"You jerk!" She shoved his head back under the two foot water and held it there.

Trying to break free, Kakashi waved his arms madly and kicked his legs. Said leg kicked Anko, sending her tumbling down into the water next to him. Meanwhile, Kakashi managed to get his head above water and took some long, deep breaths.

"Why you!" yelled Anko when she got her balance back and stood up. By the time that happened, Kakashi was already swimming out deeper.

"Catch me if you can!" He dove under the water and swan further out. He knew as well as she did that she couldn't resist the challenge.

She ran further into the water and dove in, swimming after Kakashi. "You can't escape me!" She had almost reached Kakashi when he swam under the water. _Drat, _she though. _This water's so dark I'll have to wait for him to come up before I can..._ "AHHH!" Anko screamed as Kakashi came up under her. For a second she was sitting on his shoulders, that is, until he let go of her legs and flipped her backwards.

Anko fell headfirst into the water. As she struggled to right herself and get back to the surface, she felt her foot make contact with Kakashi's back. Next thing she knew, she could breath for one and Kakashi's arms had entwined around her's and were pulling them back so she couldn't use them.

"Anko," he quietly spoke into her ear. "Kicking isn't nice."

Anko ignored the shiver that his warm breath on her ear had sent down her back. She wasn't suppose to feel this way about her best friend and the first jonin to accept her again after Orochimaru had abandoned her. "It's not like I kicked you on purpose!"

"Didn't you?"

"No I didn't! After you dumped me backwards into the water I was trying to get back up!" She started coughing severely.

"Anko?" Kakashi released her arms when she kept coughing and turned her so she faced him. "Anko what's wrong?"

Through the coughing she managed to say, "I swallowed too much water."

Sighing Kakashi began swimming them both back to shore. "I think we're done swimming for today."

Her coughing finally stopped enough so she could swim herself. When they were standing waist deep in water she glared at him. "This is all your fault."

"Wha?" Before the question was even out, he had his answer in a splash of water to his face. He coughed a few timed before he glared at Anko.

"Now, our swimming is over." She turned and walked to shore and grabbed a towel from the basket. Kakashi followed suit and after they both had sufficiently dried off, they sat on the beach towel and Kakashi unpacked their lunch: sandwiches, apples, lemonade, water, and of course, some chocolate for desert.

Both ate quietly, stealing glances at the other while they weren't paying attention. Anko, for once, decided to leave the chocolate for later. From her bag, she pulled out a comb. "Ugh my hair's going to take forever to dry," she complained. Reaching up, she pulled out the elastic that held her messy ponytail. Her wet hair fell down past her shoulders, her face still framed by her bangs.

Thunder boomed in the distance. "It might take even longer if we don't get a shelter," said. Anko nodded her agreement. "This would be the perfect time to copy that jutsu." Forming hand seals, Wood sprang up around Anko and their umbrella, forming a small, two room hut. There was no door, but the roof extended an extra 4 feet to allow one to stand under it and look around outside.

Anko was a bit impressed. "Who'd you copy that move from?"

"Yamato. One day he was helping me train Naruto, so I copied it. It's actually quite useful in these situations. If you want to change, you can go in the other room."

Anko nodded and grabbed her bag. Once in the other room, she took her bathing suit off and thoroughly dried herself, except for her hair. She pulled on her cloths and then rejoined Kakashi in the larger of the two rooms. Using a towel, she continued to dry her hair to the best of her abilities.

Kakashi then took his turn changing. While she was gone, Anko looked around the small hut. She noticed there was an odd impression in the ceiling. When Kakashi came back she asked him what it was.

"Oh." Kakashi smiled. "It's my own add on. It's a hole in the roof. It's covered by a larger circle above it, leaving a 5 inch gap and its sloping downward slightly on all sides so no water gets in."

"What's it for?" Anko was still a bit confused.

"It's so we can start a fire. The smoke floats up through the opening and the air in here stays fresh."

"Oh. That's smart, for you anyways."

He chuckled and grabbed her arm. "Come on. It's only mid spring so it's going to get cold. We need firewood."

"Ok, Ok, let go I'm coming!" She followed him outside and helped him as he started collecting firewood. Anko and Kakashi collected enough wood to keep them through the night and into the next day if the thunder and rain didn't let up.

With a grunt, Kakashi placed the last pile of wood in the middle of the hut. "Now, we just need some stones to line the fire pit."

Anko nodded and went outside. Looking up at the sky, she knew it wouldn't be long before the rain began. Quickly, she gathered flat, smooth rocks, as well as large ones and brought them to Kakashi who had dug a hole in the sand and was lining it with said rocks.

Just as the rain began to come down, Kakashi struck the flint and a small fire came to life. He continued to tend to it as Anko watched until it was a sufficient size. "And now we wait," said Anko dryly.

Kakashi nodded. "There isn't much else we can do. We're to far away for me to poof us back and we can't go out while it's thundering and there's lightning."

Anko, who had a knack for being prepared for everything, pulled some rope from her bag and strung it across the hut.

"What's that for?" Kakashi asked.

"Our towels," she answered as she hung them over the line. "If it gets colder we can use them to stay warm, but they won't work very well if they're wet." She also hung their wet bathing suits on it.

They sat on opposite ends of the beach towel, each looking at the fire and thinking their own thoughts.

"Kakashi?" Anko finally broke the silence that had lingered in the hut.

"Yeah?"

"Do you miss them?"

"Miss who?"

"Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura."

Kakashi thought for a second. "Yeah, I do. I see Sakura every once in a while when I'm getting a mission or she's on an errand for the Hokage. Every few months Naruto sends me a letter from wherever he and Jiraiya happen to be, telling me all about his training."

"What about Sasuke?" She turned to find his face sad.

"It hurts," he finally said. "It hurts that he left to train with Orochimaru."

Anko got up and went over to him. She put a hand on his shoulder. "We all hurt at one point or another. Orochimaru just seems to be the cause of most of the hurt in the world."

"Yeah, it does seem that way." They grew quiet. After a few minuets Anko removed her hand and sat down, this time next to Kakashi. "Why do you like scaring little kids Anko?" It was a question totally out of the blue, but somehow Kakashi had always wondered about it.

She smiled at him. "I'm good at mental torture, not as good as Ibiki, but I'm good. Why little kids? Well it's not exactly that I like torturing them, it's more that when they see me, when they're scared, when it's all said and done, they come out of it stronger, and they appreciate the good times even more."

"I never thought about it that way."

Anko grinned. "Most people don't which is why I'm the Crazy Proctor Woman of Konoha."

He smiled at her. "At least you earned your title alone, without help."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm famous just because I can use the sharingan. People never stop and think about the person who gave it to me. That's why I'm always late… I go to the memorial stone to thank him and time always runs away from me."

Anko felt touched that he had shared this information with her, even if they were best friends. "Ow!" Kakashi's yell startled her out of her thoughts.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He held his hand close to the fire. "A splinter, and a long and deep one at that." He tried to figure out how to remove it.

"Hold on," Anko said. She rummaged in her pack and pulled out a small first aid kit.

"Do you have everything in there?" Kakashi asked as she took out a pair of tweezers.

"No." She took his hand and examined the splinter. "I just have what I need plus a few things to be ready in case something like this happens."

_I'll sure say,_ Kakashi thought as Anko gently used the tweezers to pull the splinter out.

"Well you were right, it was long." She held up the tweezers and in them was a splinter of wood about ¾ an inch long. "It's a good thing this didn't go any…" She trailed off. A drop of blood formed at the opening she had pulled the splinter out of. Blood-lust filled her mind. Slowly, she raised Kakashi's palm to let hand and licked it off.

Kakashi watched, frozen as she licked his blood from his hand. With the blood gone, the blood-lust left Anko and her mind returned to normal, well as normal as Anko can get. She blushed slightly and dropped Kakashi's hand. "Sorry Kakashi." She sat down, her back to him so he couldn't see that her face was turning red.

He smiled behind his mask. Anko was so different when she was with him, just him. She opened up and he saw beneath her hyperactive, dangerous self and he saw the caring person she really was.

"Anko?"

"Hmm?" Her mind was elsewhere.

"If you could do anything in the world what would it be?"

"I'd take off your mask," she said without thinking.

"Why?"

"So I could see your face again."

"Again?" He was confused. "You've already seen it?"

Her mind was still elsewhere, but she nodded. "It was when we were kids, before Orochimaru took me. For the longest time I couldn't remember, but when I went on that mission with Naruto, my memories finally returned. That one memory has always been a bit unclear to me."

"What would you do to see it again?"

"Anything." Once the word left her mouth Anko's mind went spinning back to reality. _What did I just say?!_ she thought angrily. Part of her wondered what Kakashi would say, the other part was beating herself up for even saying it.

Kakashi grinned. "Anthing?" he repeated.

Anko didn't move. The horror of what she said was just setting in. Then, she felt Kakashi move behind her. One of his arms snaked around her shoulders, pulling her back to his chest. The other snaked around her waist and clutched her right wrist, presenting her arms from moving.

"Anything?" he whispered in her ear. For the second time that day, his warm breath sent shivers down her spine. Hesitantly, she nodded slightly. "Anko," was it just her or was his voice sounding a bit husky? "Would you give me a kiss? Same as you did all those years ago?"

Anko blushed again. _A kiss_, _if I give him a kiss I can see his face… I'll make it a kiss he'll never forget,_ she thought. "Yes," she said adding a shy note to her voice.

Inside Kakashi's mind, two things were happening. One, he was jumping up and down, Anko was going to kiss him! Two he was wondering what would happen when she kissed him. He released her arms slowly.

She turned around. Slowly, her hands went to his mask. He placed his on hers, and slowly they pulled the mask down. Anko blinked in surprise. Kakashi was even more gorgeous than she remembered. Then again, she had been 13 the last time she saw his face. "Um, wow," she said.

Kakashi grinned. "That's what they all say."

"You've let other people she you're face?" she asked, more than a bit shocked.

"No, but it's what they would say." She smacked him lightly on the head. "What was that for?" he complained.

"For simply being you."

He chuckled. "I guess I deserved that. Now aren't you forgetting something?"

"What?"

"You know very well what. I let you see my face, now you owe me something in return."

Grinning she moved towards him, not just her face, but her entire body. Kakashi's mind backtracked and he started leaning back. She kept creeping forward and pretty soon Kakashi was completely on his back, wondering how the heck he let himself get into this situation.

Anko was grinning inwardly. She had Kakashi right where she wanted him. Her legs straddled his hips, her hands were on either side of his head, and her face was inches from his. Then she noticed something, something she'd never though about anyone else. Kakashi's lips looked so warm, so soft; in fact she almost _wanted_ to kiss him.

_Lets get this over with,_ she thought and she leaned down. Gently, lightly she pressed her lips to his, barely caressing them. Then she drew back slightly, only to press her cheek against his as strands of her bangs fell across his face. Her lips were millimeters away from his ear. She did to him what he had done to her twice that day.

Her warm breath on his ear sent a shiver of desire down Kakashi's spine. "Ka-ka-shi," she breathed, separating and elongating each syllable. Then she moved her head back and gazed into his eyes. His hand reached up and tucked the stray stands behind her ear. She smiled at him before closing her eyes, and pressing her slightly parted lips down onto his.

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**A/N:** So yeah… I don't know if I'll continue it… please review and tell me what you think. Continue? Leave as one-shot? Constructive criticism would be helpful.


	2. Missing

Inside Kakashi's mind fireworks were going off. Anko was kissing him! Her soft lips were pressed to his in a tender, passionate way. Kakashi closed his eyes, enjoying the kiss. One hand wrapped around her waist and as he pulled her body closer, feeling it press into his, the other caressed her cheek before going to the nape of her neck, holding her head to his.

Anko on the other hand, had an explosion in her mind. She was kissing Kakashi, the man who was suppose to be her best friend… what did it mean? She'd originally done it just to see his face, but now she wasn't sure if that was the only reason. She let out a slight gasp as Kakashi pulled her closer, her breasts now pressing against his chest.

Kakashi, being the pervert we all know and love, couldn't resist Anko's open mouth. Without any warning, his tongue rushed in to claim her mouth for his own pleasure. Ok, that isn't entirely true. When his tongue rushed into her mouth, Anko felt her heart flutter. Somehow this… this, well whatever kissing your best friend was, felt right.

Seconds past and they remained locked at their lips. Neither could remember how long the kiss held after, but both remembered what followed.

Anko opened her eyes and drew back so her face was inches from his. "So," she breathed. "I guess we're even now."

Kakashi smiled. "I guess." He pulled her ear to his, their cheeks meeting again. "But I think I want more," he breathed into her ear. When she drew back, his hands cupped her face. She leaned down and he closed his eyes. However, their lips never met. Anko kissed the top of his nose and before he had opened his eyes, she was sitting on her side of the towel.

He sat up. "What was that for?"

She looked at him curiously. "What was what for?"

"You know very well what I mean?"

"And?" Her voice sounded bored. "I'm choosing not to answer."

Kakashi sighed. It would be of no use to pester her further. He looked out the doorway. "The rain's letting up." He commented.

She nodded and stared into the fire. They were both silent.

"Kakashi…"

"Anko…" They both talked at the same time.

"You go first," she said.

Rather than argue, Kakashi went. "Where'd you put my mask?"

"Oh here." She handed it to him and he put it back on.

"What did you want?" He wondered what she was going to say.

"Oh nothing really. Only that we should pack up so we can make a run for it when the rain stops." She was still gazing into the fire. Kakashi wondered what she saw there.

"Ok then." Kakashi stood and began to repack the basket. In went their bathing suits, their towels, the flint and kindling, and last off all, the beach towel. He stood at the door and looked out. "It's only drizzling now."

Anko stood and put out the fire and the both walked outside. "So what are you going to do about that?" she asked, indicating the hut.

"Well, I was either going to blow it up with paper bombs or crush it with rocks." He expected Anko to insult him or laugh. She didn't.

"Just take it down so we can go." She didn't sound like Anko. She sounded far away.

Instead of teasing her like he would have liked to, the shelter disappeared with a few quick hand signs and Kakashi picked up the basket. He led the way back towards Konoha. They walked in silence.

Suddenly, out of the blue Anko asked Kakashi, "What would you do if I disappeared?"

He stopped and turned to look at her. "What?" He was caught off guard by the question.

She looked at him, her face serious. "If I disappeared, what would you do?"

Still surprised, it took Kakashi a moment to respond. "What would I do? I'd find you that's what and then I'd destroy the person who took you away."

"And what if you couldn't find me? What if no matter how hard and long you searched, you couldn't find me?" Her voice was emotionless, but Kakashi though he heard a hint of sadness and regret.

He cupped her cheek with his hand. "I'd find you," he said firmly. He dropped his hand and looked at her.

She stared into his eyes. The emotion in them frightened her and she dropped her gaze. "I'm not worth it," she whispered, Kakashi could only barley make out the words.

"Let's get back to Konoha." He hated the look on her face. It was so sad, so pained. He turned and started walking again. He could hear her following.

After a few minuets, he heard Anko speak again. "Goodbye Kakashi."

"What do you mean?" He turned to look at her face, but he couldn't.

He looked around in all directions, but it was no good. Anko had vanished.

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**A/N:** Sorry this chapter is so short, but i wanted to leave on a cliffy. Why? I duuno, to keep you guys wanting to know what happens next. The next update will be... within two weeks. I don't know exactly when. My mind wanders around a lot XD so im always working n numerous fanfics at once.

Please review. If you don't, it makes me sad. Well not really, but who doesn't like getting reviews?  
Constructive Criticism is very welcome.  
Please no flaming. If you have the time to insult my writing, then you have time to go write something better. So :P


	3. Secrets of the Past

Well here's chapter three. I have to say its not my best work and some parts might be a bit confusing, but enjoy.

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"Anko!" Kakashi's yell rang through the silent woods. "Anko, damn it, this is no time for a joke! Come out!" He placed the basket on the ground and jumped into the trees, searching for her. When she was nowhere to be found he uncovered his sharingan with a sign. She was going to pay for making him use this and pay well.

He scanned the woods with his sharingan, but to no avail. Anko still couldn't be found. _Something's wrong,_ he thought, sniffing the air. _I can't even smell her scent. It's like she… evaporated into thin air._

Quickly, he formed the hand seals and summoned Pakkun. The little dog looked at him with interest. "Hey Kakashi. What'd you need?"

From the basket, Kakashi pulled out Anko's swimsuit. "Find her. She was here not 10 minuets ago, but even with my sharingan I can't find her."

Pakkun sniffed the swimsuit then raised his nose to the wind. "I'll do my best." With that, he took off into the trees, leaving a very worried Kakashi to wait for his return.

Kakashi paced back and forth on the path. Yes, Anko liked to play jokes, but this was going too far. His head jerked up as he heard Pakkun returning. His eyes scanned the woods, waiting for Anko to reappear.

Pakkun looked sadly at his master. "Her scent train comes from the lake here, but then it just vanished. I can't help you. There's no trail to follow."

Kakashi sank to his knees. What had happened? She had been right behind him. No enemy could have snuck up on them. Even if they hand, Anko was no weakling. Not only that, but struggling would have made a sound.

Pakkun placed a paw on his master's knee. "I'm sorry Kakashi. You better inform the Hokage. I'll sniff around a little longer, but I doubt I'll find much."

"Thank you Pakkun. I'm going to request a team to help me search for her." With a small piece of new hope, Kakashi pulled himself to his feet, hefted the basket once again and jumped into the trees at full speed, heading for Konoha and for help.

10 minuets later, Kakashi burst into the Hokage's mansion, the basket no longer on his back, but at his apartment. He rushed upstairs and found Shizune outside Lady Tsunade's office. "Shizune," he gasped. "Is Lady Tsunade here? It's of the highest importance!"

Shizune took one look at Kakashi's face and knocked on the door. "What is it Shizune?" came a voice from the other side.

Shizune opened the door slightly. "Kakashi is here to see you. He says it's important."

"Send him in." The words were barely out of her mouth before Kakashi burst into her office.

"Anko is missing." he said. Tsunade put her pen down and clasped her hand in front of her face.

"Are you sure?" She knew Kakashi wasn't one to lie (except about being late). But she also knew that Anko liked to play tricks on her fellow jonin.

Kakashi nodded. "There's no trace of her. We were walking back to the village and all the sudden I hear her whisper 'goodbye' and when I turned around she was gone! I searched with my sharingan and even summoned Pakkun, but there's no scent trail. It's like she vanished into this air!"

Tsunade's eyes widened. "You're sure of this?" Kakashi nodded. "SHIZUNE!" Tsunade yelled.

The door opened slightly and Shizune's head poked through. "Yes my lady?"

"Get me Shino, Hinata, and Kiba. NOW!" Without bothering to answer, Shizune was racing to find the three Tsunade wanted.

"When do we leave?" Kakashi asked anxiously.

"Kakashi," she said slowly. "You will not be joining this squad. You will be remaining here." She braced herself for the outburst.

It took a moment for the words to sink in. "What?!" Kakashi yelled, jumping up from the chair he had seated himself in. "What do you mean I'll be staying here? Lady Tsunade I can't!"

"Give me one decent reason why you can't." The Hokage's voice was firm.

"Because." He looked into her eyes. "I promised her if she ever disappeared, I'd never stop searching until I found her."

Tsunade let out an audible sigh. Being Hokage, was not by any means an easy job. "That's by far a decent reason, but I cannot allow you to leave the village."

There was a knock on the door and then Shizune let Kiba, Shino, and Hinata in. They stood, awaiting their mission assignment.

Tsunade turned to them. "Anko Mitarashi has vanished." The three all wore surprised expressions, but they held their tongues. Kurenai bust through the door, her face was white with worry.

"Hokage-sama! Is it true Anko is missing?" She completely ignored the fact that her former team was in the room.

"Yes, it is. I'm sending out a team to search the area, although Kakashi searched with his sharingan as well as Pakkun." Tsunade indicated to the three young ninjas standing in the room.

Kurenai shot a glance at Kakashi, who nodded. "Oh…" she said in a small voice. "I'll just wait outside then." She left out through the door. Inside she was breaking. She couldn't lose Anko, she just couldn't.

Back inside Tsunade's office, she had already briefed the team. "Shino, I'm assigning you as squad leader. See if you can find anything that would give us a clue to what happened. You leave now. Report to me tonight. Dismissed."

The three bowed and left. Seconds later, Kakashi asked, "Why am I not allowed to search?" His voice was tight and pained.

"I plan on retiring shortly, stepping down from the title of Hokage and just being one of the three Sanin." She looked out the window. "I intend to leave Konoha in capable hands."

"What the hell has this got to do with me?" Kakashi was too upset to see where this was going, or to even get a head start and run away.

She looked at him. "Kakashi, I'm passing the title of Hokage onto you."

Kakashi just looked at her dumbly. "What?"

Even Tsunade had a hard time remembering that this lazy, laid back ninja was a genius sometimes. "Kakashi, I'm making you the 6th Hokage."

"Don't I get a choice in the matter?" Honestly, he wanted to search the world until he found Anko, not be stuck behind some desk.

"You do, but I think this will change our mind." From a draw in her desk, Tsunade pulled out three objects. The first she handed to Kakashi who took it with trembling hands.

"Where did you get this?" His voice shook.

"The Fourth Hokage had it repaired by the most skilled blacksmith he could find."

Slowly, Kakashi gripped the hilt and drew his father's sword from its sheath. The blade was mended seamlessly and the edge was as sharp as ever. "I wish I could thank him."

"You can," Tsunade said bluntly. "It was his wish that you become Hokage." Then, she picked up the second object, a scroll, and opened it. "This scroll states that if his son wasn't ready to take on the position, he passes it onto you. As for the final object, it's a box, but I don't know how to open it."

Kakashi didn't even ask, he just took the box of the Hokage's desk and froze. Slowly, he placed the box back on the desk. "It's been chakara encoded. It will only open for the Forth Hokage or myself."

"What is so important that it was chakara encoded?" Tsunade was curious now.

"I am the last member of the Hatake family, or at least the last one in Konoha." Kakashi's eyes never left the box. "My family scroll had to be protected. It contains…" Kakashi paused; he had to choose his next words carefully. "…certain aspects of my family history, which in the wrong hands would cause havoc on Konoha and the entire Fire Country, not to mention all the other countries."

Tsunade knew Kakashi had to be cautious when talking about the family scroll, but she still wanted to know. "What exactly does it contain?"

Kakashi held up his hand, palm facing up. The glowed with a blue light and the sound of chirping birds filled the room. "The Chidori and its more powerful form, the Lightning Blade, are just a small sample of what is contained within the scroll. Yes, they are my own original moves, but are only complete because of the sharingan." The chakara vanished, as did the chirping. "Over the years I forgot about this scroll. It would appear, however, that the Forth Hokage had other plans for it."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "So, you're saying this scroll contains high level lighting moves?"

Kakashi nodded. "In that box is perhaps the most powerful lightning jutsu scroll as well as my power."

Tsunade was surprised at this. "Your power?"

Kakashi's hands balled into fists. "When I was young, I had so much chakara that it nearly overwhelmed my body. I had perhaps as much as Naruto, but my body couldn't take it. The Forth Hokage sealed a good deal of my chakara inside a medium until I was older. He passed before he could return it."

"It would seem," Tsunade began. "That the Forth had many secrets, some still unknown. Now I ask you Kakashi, will you take back your powers and the powers of your clan and protect Konoha as the 6th Hokage?"

Kakashi looked at the box before him, and his father's sword which sat in his lap. His resolve hardened. He took the box and box and opened it. Inside laid his family's scroll and the medium. Placing the box back on the desk, he picked up the medium, a diamond. "Chidori," he whispered and the diamond shattered into grains of fine powder.

A strange, yet familiar power filled Kakashi. It was the power he had lost long ago, once again coursing through his veins. He met Tsunade's eyes. "I cannot give you that answer now."

"Very well. I'll give you some time to think of it and learn your family's techniques. Tsunade raised her voice. "Kurenai, you may come in now."

The door opened and closed as Kurenai reentered, her eyes red and puffy. "Lady Tsunade, is there any hope?"

Tsunade sadly shook her head. "Kakashi couldn't find her and he was there right after she disappeared. He even summoned Pakkun."

The tears flowed from Kurenai's eyes once again. There was a light knocking on the door. "Come in," said Tsunade.

Asuma entered. He placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "I'm sorry man." Then, he went over to Kurenai and took her into his arm. "I'm sure you have things to discus with Kakashi. I'll bring her home."

"Thank you Asuma." It was one less thing Tsunade had to deal with at the moment. They bowed and left. "Kakashi, I know you want to search for Anko, but we have no leads no clues to where she might be. I don't plan on stepping down for a few months now, so you have some time to think. If anything does come up, I'll let you know."

"Thank you Hokage-sama." He closed the box once again, and left with it in hand, along with his father's sword.

* * *

Kakashi put his key in the lock and turned it. The door slowly creaked open. No, Kakashi wasn't at his apartment. He was at his mansion. For years and years, he had avoided the place, but now that he had his father's sword and his family scroll, it only seemed right to return to the place where so many of his nightmares began.

Stepping inside, he found the light switch and turned them on. Lights slowly flickered back into life after years of disuse. Everything was covered in a thin layer of dust. With a sigh Kakashi set to work cleaning the living room. At least there, sheets had been placed to protect the furniture.

It took him a good two hours to get the room cleaned, but when he was done, he placed the blankets he had brought from his apartment on the couch and sat down.

From the picnic basket he had brought it with him, he drew Anko's swimsuit and the cloths she had worn on the way to the lake. Deeply, he inhaled, breathing in her scent. To him she smelled bittersweet. Sweet like the dangos she loved so much, but bitter like all the hardships she had been forced to endure.

The he noticed something. From the basket, he drew the uneaten chocolate. Tears welled up his left eye. Anko has never left chocolate uneaten before. Now, it seemed like she would never eat it. "Dammit Obito!" he yelled as the tears start flowing down his face. "You were always quick to cry." He clutched her cloths, all he had left of her, to his chest and though, _Anko… what am I going to do?_ His mind slowly settled off into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

**A/N:** Ok, not my best chapter i know. I had a bit of a writers block on it and some trouble messing around with the timeline. Like i had Asuma dead, but that would mean Naruto was back and Kakashi and Anko talked about Nauto's training at the lake, so i fixed that. So we leave off here, Kakashi is in the Hatake mansion and sleeping on the couch. What on earth could he be thinking. and where is Anko? Only time will tell.

I'll try to update again soon!

Please review. If you don't, it makes me sad. Well not really, but who doesn't like getting reviews?  
Constructive Criticism is very welcome.  
Please no flaming. If you have the time to insult my writing, then you have time to go write something better. So :P


	4. Haunting Dreams

"Come in." The three man team entered the Hokage's office. "And?" Tsunade looked at them, not sure what to feel. Had they found something or had Anko vanished.

"Nothing," said Shino. "We searched the area from the lake back to where Kiba lost her scent. It's as Kakashi said, all traces of her vanish."

Tsunade frowned. "Well, this can't be good. One of or special jonins just vanishes."

"Um Tsunade-sama?" Hinata stepped forward half a step.

"Yes Hinata?" Tsunade looked at her.

"Um, well… When Shino and Kiba were searching, I found something with my Byakugan. There were trace amounts of chakara, barley visible even with my Byakugan. They were around the area where Anko-sensei last stood."

Tsunade frowned. This could be a problem. "Did they lead anywhere?"

Hinata shook her head. "They were just around the area where she stood."

"I see." This gave Tsunade something to think over.

"Hokage-sama." Shino spoke, breaking the silence.

"Yes? Oh sorry. You three may leave. Good work."

The three young ninjas left their Hokage in a now silent room. In her mind, Tsunade was turning over these new developments. It would seem Anko knew she would disappear, but why would she let it happen. Or maybe it was just a coincidence that she had asked Kakashi what he would do if she vanished, but Tsunade knew better. Anko was gone, more of the Fourth's secrets had been revealed, and Kakashi Hatake... just how powerful was he?

* * *

He was in a field lit by the dying amber light of the sun. Then he saw her, Anko! She was alive, she was here. He ran towards her. "Anko!" he called out with joy.

Slowly, she turned towards him. He stopped a few feet from her. "Anko, what's wrong?" She looked at him, her eyes sad and pained. "Anko."

"You didn't." Her voice was soft and broken. "You didn't find me."

"Anko… you're right in front of me." Kakashi reached out to take her hand, but she drew away."

"Am I Kakashi?" her voice got a bit louder. Then she screamed with pain, fury, and her broken heart. "AM I REALLY!?"

He took a step towards her. "Anko, you are. Let me prove it." He reached a hand up to stroke her cheek. She shivered as his hand went right through her. His eyes widened in shock, what the hell was going on. "What's happening?"

She looked up into his eyes. "You didn't find me." Her voice was void of all emotion now.

"You haven't even been gone a day though." Kakashi was baffled; this wasn't the Anko he knew.

"Don't you understand?" A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Understand what Anko?"

She raised her hand and slapped him, well she tried to but like before her hand went strait through him, sending shivers through his body. "I'M DEAD KAKASHI, DEAD!"

He sank to his knees. "No." His voice was hoarse and barley audible. "You can't be."

She turned her back on him. "Goodbye Kakashi." She started walking away.

"No! Anko wait!" He tried to stand, but his knees wouldn't lift from the ground. "Don't go!" He reached forward and tried to grab her arm. It didn't do any good. She was to far away. "ANKO!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Goodbye…" her voice faded off as the last rays of sunlight danced across her body. As the sun vanished below the horizon, Anko turned and looked back at Kakashi with her tear stained face. "You didn't find me…" She was fading. The last thing Kakashi saw were her eyes, sad and broken. Then she was gone.

He stared at the spot where Anko had been. "I…. I failed."

* * *

Anko came around slowly. The first thing her mind registered was that her wrists were chained to the floor on either side of her, preventing her from doing anything except sitting there with her back against the cold stone wall. Slowly her other senses came around and she opened her eyes. A whole lot of good that did her, it was dark and the only light filtered through small cracks in the wall opposite of where her back was.

Though not much light filtered through, it was enough to illuminate her surroundings to a small degree. She looked around. She was in a cell about six feet by six feet and built into solid rock. The door was solid steel.

_So much for an escape,_ she thought. _Even if my hands were free, I'd never be able to get threw that door and who knows what enemies are waiting on the other side._

She drew her knees close and rested her head on them, the tears flowing freely. _Kakashi… I can't believe it. In the end, I never did tell you how much you mean to me._

The sound of metal sliding caused Anko to jerk her head up. A small part of the door had slid aside and a man peered in. "Sir, the prisoner is awake," they said to some man Anko couldn't see.

"Open the door." Wait... Anko knew that voice. So _he_ was behind this. Somehow, it didn't surprise her.

The man entered the room, a satisfied smirk on his face. "Hello Anko."

Anko's faced darkened to a scowl and she was filled with a deep hatred.

* * *

Kakashi woke with a start, nearly falling off the couch. His dream had been so vivid, so real, that it hurt him even now that he was awake. He was more confused than ever. Was his dream telling him Anko was dead? Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he would never believe it unless he saw her body with his own two eyes; he stood up with a sigh. Never before in his life had he felt so conflicted, not even when Rin had been captured.

He wanted to live up to his sensei's wishes and honor him after his sacrifice to protect the village. He wanted to protect those he cared about. He wanted to live up to his father's sacrifice that had cost him his honor and his life. But… how could he? Anko had vanished. He failed to protect her and now he was unable to search, to look, to do something.

With a heavy sigh, he stood up. His family's scroll stood on the table. He strapped it over his back, grabbed his father's sword, and left his family's house. As he walked down the streets of Konoha, people eyed him strangely. To them the quiet, laid back copy ninja looked different. He walked through the streets with a purpose.

At the training grounds, he chose a large clearing isolated from the rest. Opening the scroll, he began training. It never mattered how tired he got, it never mattered how much chakara he was using, he just had to keep training, train and forget.

Three hours later, Kurenai and Asuma found him there practicing and releasing obscene amounts of chakara. The trees around him were scarred and broken and the grass was burned in vivid black streaks. Kakashi was cover and soot. He hurled another bolt of lightning and this time a tree exploded. His face lit up with grim satisfaction. "Finally got that move down."

"Kakashi!" Kurenai called out in alarm. "What are you doing?" She looked at him with concerned eyes.

He turned around to face them. "What does it look like? I'm training."

Asuma gestured to the charred and smoking trees. "This is training?" Kakashi nodded.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready? We have to go after Anko!" Kurenai felt a strong urge to slap the man.

Kakashi turned his back to them. "There's no trace of her, nothing. We have no leads, no evidence, no where to go from here."

"Why is that stopping you?" Tears were leaking from her eyes. "You've never given up before!"

Kakashi ran through hand signs, unleashing a powerful sphere of lightning chakara that he hurled strait through a boulder and then gorged a deep crater in the ground behind it. "There's nothing I can do. We have nothing to go on. I am forbidden to leave this village. I will obey my Hokage."

Kurenai and Asuma were blown away by the shear power of the attack. Asuma frowned. "Why are you forbidden to leave the village?"

Kakashi let out a breath he'd been holding since his power returned. "I am needed here. I must obey my former sensei. I shall not disappoint him again."

Seeing as they were getting no where, Asuma led Kurenai away. Neither of them, not even Kurenai with her sharp eyes, could see that the man was truly desperate. He wanted to find Anko, he wanted to find her, hold her close, and kiss her until air itself seemed insignificant. He wanted to, but could not. He'd lost his chance to be with her long ago, when she had lost herself, her memories, and her soul to Orochimaru's poison.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm sorry it took so long to update. School is starting for me in like a week and I was working on my summer reading. That and starting with my class we need to write a reflective essay on our community service. I mean seriously! Anyways I'll try to update again as soon as possible. And just who is keeping Anko hostage.

Please review. If you don't, it makes me sad. Well not really, but reviews help motivate me to write more! Be sure to include who you think Anko's captor is!  
Constructive Criticism is very welcome.  
Please no flaming. If you have the time to insult my writing, then you have time to go write something better. So :P


	5. Anger and Manipulation

The sun shown down on Konoha the next morning. A figure clad in orange with bright yellow hair walked through the village gate with a spiky, white haired man. They had only been gone about a year, but Jiraiya had received an urgent message from Tsunade asking him and Naruto to return.

"Shesh, we were just getting started on some hard core training and Granny Tsunade calls us back to the village." He continued muttering like that while Jiraiya led the way to the Hokage's Mansion.

Once inside they were brought strait in to see Tsunade, Sakura was already inside. When she saw Naruto, her worried face broke into a small smile. "Sakura! What's going on?"

"Wait," she said and looked back to her master.

"Naruto, I have called you back because I'm afraid your former sensei and team leader is in need of our help."

"What's wrong with Kaka-sensei?" Naruto impenitently interrupted.

Tsunade glared at him then continued. "Recently, one of out special jonins disappeared. Kakahsi was quite close to her and is taking it badly seeing as he was with her right before she vanished. I need you two to talk to him, though be warned. He's not the same teacher you remember. I cannot say more than Kakashi has recovered a few items that were … 'removed' from his possession years ago."

Naruto, being the unintelligent dope he is, said, "Where is he?"

"The 13th training ground, but I warn you. Do not upset him. If you do we're all in trouble." Tsunade looked at Sakura and Naruto. "And try not to mention Sasuke. Right now the last thing we need is _another_ reason for him to be chasing down Orochimaru. Dismissed."

Naruto and Sakura left the room. Jiraiya closed the door behind them and turned to Tsunade. "Tsunade, on our way back I found something. Naruto doesn't know about it, I thought it better that way."

"What is it?" Tsunade asked tiredly. Ever since Anko's disappearance there had been many unanswered questions and plenty ninja asking them.

Jiraiya solemnly pulled and object from a pocket and laid it on her desk. On a leather cord, hung a carved wooden bead and a fang. Tsunade paled. "This can't be good." Her voice was hardly more than a whisper.

Sakura and Naruto entered the 13th training ground together. What they saw made Sakura gasp. The ground was charred, the trees leafless, deep marks scored into their trunks, branches littering the ground, and Kakashi; his cloths were grimy, his arms and face covered in soot, and he was panting. "GOD DAMNIT!" he shouted at the sky. "WHY THE HELL MUST YOU TAKE EVERYONE I LOVE FROM ME!?" He slammed his fist into the ground, his raw anger and pain channeled in it. The ground heaved and tore apart.

Naruto and Sakura jumped aside to avoid the dirt that was flying through the air.

"Kaka-sensei?" Naruto said hesitantly.

Kakashi turned to face them. His headband was up, his sharingan exposed, but his eyes gave away nothing. "What." His voice was empty and hollow.

Sakura, finally over the condition her former sensei was in answered. "We're here to talk."

"About."

"How you are."

"Never better." Kakashi turned his back to them and started the rapid hand sings again. A bolt of lightning struck the ground a few yards away from him. "So that's what this jutsu does. Not very accurate, but I guess it will come with time.

Naruto's jaw dropped. "How'd you do that Kaka-sensei?"

Kakashi didn't turn. "Chakara and hand signs."

"I mean how'd you learn it?" Naruto grumbled.

"From my family scroll. The Hatake's are and were lightning masters. Now if you two have nothing better to do than bother me I suggest you go and leave me in peace."

Naruto looked at Sakura, surprise written across his face before turning back to Kakashi. "You think you're the only one to lose someone important? In case you don't remember, we lost Sasuke."

Sakura glared at him, fighting not to punch him. "You idiot," she hissed. "Hokage-sama said not to mention him."

Kakashi's hands hardened into tight fists and his mouth was tight, not that they could see it. His voice was low and deadly. Neither Sakura or Naruto had ever heard their sensei speak so dangerously. "At least Sasuke is alive. My mother died, this village killed my father, Obito died to save me, Rin disappeared and now Anko. And you know what hurts the most? She was right there, right next to me, and I couldn't save her. Now go away."

Sakura took a step towards him. "Kakashi-sensei… we're still here."

He turned around, his eyes ablaze with furry. "You're still here? Why the fuck does that even matter?!" He punched a tree, splintering the bark and creating a deep hole. "Just go away and leave me alone!"

Sakura and Naruto's jaws dropped. Kakashi had just sweared, and at them. Naruto was the first to recover. "It matters because we're your students! And if there was anything we could do, we'd do it! Pulls yourself together man! Don't you give up, or else you aren't fit to have been the student of the 4th Hokage!"

Kakashi glared at him. "You're a fine one to talk! I lost my sensei because of the demon fox, and you lost your right to a childhood and parents! Just go train with Jiraiya so you because fit to call yourself… " Kakashi clamped his mouth shut, about to say 'his son'. He'd been so enraged; he'd almost given away his sensei's most precious secret. All his anger drained away, his enraged expression faded and he took some deep breaths.

Sakura's mouth finally shut. She took a few hesitant steps towards Kakashi, then walked to him. She gasped at the sight of his hands. "Kakashi sensei, you're hands are all burned!"

"That's what happens when you use lightning jutsu's for the first few times." He winced as she turned them over and started to heal them.

"Fit to call myself what?!?" Naruto asked, apparently forgetting his sensei was about to kill him a minute ago.

Kakashi just smirked at him. "I guess now, you're the 7th Hokage and Konohamaru is the 8th. That is, if the 6th decides to appoint you."

Naruto's yell was heard by Tsunade in the Hokage's office. She groaned, more trouble. Surprisingly, she was the only one who heard it besides Jiraiya who was just entering the training grounds to drag Kakashi back id needed.

"WHAT THE HELL KAKASHI-SENSEI!?"

* * *

**A/N:** What could Kakashi possibly mean?! Has he decided to become the 6th Hokage, or was he just screwing with Naruto's head. Poor Tsunade. Naruto's going to be attacking her with questions now… maybe that was Kakashi's plan.. Revenge. I can never tell what's going on in his mind.

Tsuki - I can't believe you almost spilled the beans about Minato being Naruto's father! Bad Kakashi!

Kakashi- You wrote it!

Tsuki- And?! You we're the one it the mad fit of range and like… anger!!

Kakashi- WHY YOU!!

Tsuki - *Points pen of unyouthfulness at him* Back off! I control the story! I can kill you!

Kakashi- Brat.

Tsuki- I know and I like it.

Gai- NOO!!! The poor pen has lost its youthfulness! *sobbing for the pen with rock lee*

Tsuki – You guys are pathetic.

Anyways…. The next chapter will be focused on where Anko is. If anything confused you, don't hesitate to message me! I'll update within the next week hopefully!!

And please! Submit any guesses on who Anko's captor is! He has yet to be revealed!!

Please review. If you don't, it makes me sad. Well not really, but who doesn't like getting reviews?  
Constructive Criticism is very welcome.  
Please no flaming. If you have the time to insult my writing, then you have time to go write something better. So :P


	6. A Dream? or Reality

APOV

It's easy to hate, it's easy to feel pain, but when the times comes which path will you chose? Good or evil? Compassion or hostility? Life or death? The truth of the matter is, you never really know until it happens, until the time comes.

I feel as if I'm contained within the steel bars of a cage, reaching out with my mind trying to hold on as my soul being is slowly stripped away and replaced. Replaced by a clone, but a clone fit to be what they want it to be. Not to be myself. One thing wrong, I have done wrong. One… that's all it takes to forever wipe your true existence from the face of this world. They know… they all know I was once subordinate to that filth… Orochimaru.

Why am I tormented so much by my past?! I did not choose to be trained by a devious serpent, I did not chose it… All my life I've done my best to protect this village, but still they scorn my very existence. Does no answer exist to end my suffering? If there is an answer, why must I search the world to look for a mere glance of eternity?

Time, the essence of life. Time controls us, time is our superior. Locking and unlocking paths and doors within our own fragile existences. Some open forever, yet some open for only a week, a day, an hour, a minuet, or even just a second. Choose the right path, the right door, or be forever lingering in the not so distant past. They say when a door closes, somewhere a window opens, but I've yet to find that window to an existence in Konoha where they do not judge me by the past I suffered through.

Choose well, choose wisely. As I have learned, once a choice is made, it is not easy to go back, to rewind the very hands of time that summoned us forth from the darkness and into the light of this world.

I did not choose, but rather, was chosen. Chosen by that snake of a master who then condemned me to suffer throughout the rest of my pathetic excuse of a life. This curse, this mark, this scar on my soul for everyone to see. I try to hide it, try to hind the pain inside. Show no pain, for pain is suffering. Show no suffering, for suffering is weakness. Show no weakness, for weakness leads to your own downfall at the hands of those you once thought to trust with your life.

It's easy to hate and hard to love. I've often wondered why during my long imprisonment. Perhaps it's so we treasure love and compassion above all else, when in truth anguish and misery surrounds us. Yet, within the anguish, there is hope. Light and pale, like the first pale flower of spring as it opens to the world in such a fragile state of being, yet survives against all the odds.

Most importantly, of everything this universe has offer, there is one thing you should always keep in mind. Its one thing to say I love you, and quite another to mean it.

3d Person

The cell was cold and dark, but this was nothing new to Anko. Thoughts ran through her mind as she sat against the wall in her cell. Why was she here? What had she done wrong? Was she going to die? They were the same questions that had plagued her mind since her capture about a week ago. In the darkness, there was no way to determine time. Little did she know, she had been missing for 12 days.

The thought of death didn't scare her, but she had so many regrets about her life. She was 5, she was young, and she was naive. Her parents we're both leaving on a mission, leaving her alone for a week. Her last words to them after they promised to come home… 'I hate you!' and she ran upstairs, slamming the door to her room.

When she was 6, she said those few words that forever would hang over her all her life. "I will." She had sold her ninja career away to the man who would become Konoha's number one traitor.

At 20, she began changing. Her heart was fluttering open like a flower to the sun. Kakashi, her best friend since her return, was the reason. She didn't know what she liked… or loved about him. Maybe it was his laid back attitude that made her relax in his presence, his soft voice when he comforted her when no one else would, or maybe it was his gravity defying silver hair.

Whatever it was, she had fallen for him, and fallen hard. But, he was her best friend, he meant more to her than anything in the world and she wouldn't, she couldn't lose his friendship. He'd accepted her after she'd been abandoned, and he was her shield from the insults, the anger of Konoha's citizens.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She loved him, she loved him and now she might never have a chance to tell him. She never killed her sensei… even if that was a far fetched dream. She had been hiding, she realized. Believing the only was to kill her sensei was to use the Twin Snakes Mutual Death and end both their lives. All she wanted was to end her pain, all she wanted was to be free of her curse, and all she wanted was for Kakashi to be happy. "He deserves so much better than me," she whispered into the damp darkness of her cell. For once in her life, her eyes overflowed with tears and she let go of all her emotions

She floated in and out of consciousness until the blackness finally enveloped her mind. Dreaming, she found relief from her current situation.

_This is odd_, she thought. _I'm at the training grounds…_ In her dream, her mind had brought her to this place in her home. Was it her home still? Or had she been declared a missing nin?

"Kakashi…" the word came out as a whisper to the air. He didn't appear to hear her, he didn't appear to see her.

The sight of him made Anko gasp in alarm. Again he couldn't hear her, but his cloths were filthy and he was covered in soot. She looked at the training area to find charred trees, deep gashes in the earth, and burned branches and leaves on the ground. Suddenly he turned his face up to the sky and yelled with all his pent up emotion. "GOD DAMMIT! WHY THE HELL MUST YOU TAKE EVERYONE I LOVE FROM ME!?" The ground heaved and tore apart as his furry, no channeled into a punch, hit it.

It was then Anko noticed Sakura and Naruto jumping aside to avoid the dirt clumps that were flying through the air.

"Kaka-sensei?" Anko detected a bit of hesitation on Naruto's part and she didn't blame the kid, even in this peculiar dream.

"What," came the hollow and empty reply.

"We're here to talk." Sakura was as calm as ever, even in situations like this.

"About?" Again, the hollowness.

"How you are."

"Never better," he growled before turning away and rapidly ran through hand signs. From her position in the air, Anko saw the ground shutter before a large bolt of lightning struck the ground not 3 yards from where Kakashi was standing. "So that's what this jutsu does. Not very accurate, but I guess it will come with time."

A tear trickled from Anko's eye. What had happened to him.

Naruto's jaw dropped. "How'd you do that Kaka-sensei?"

"Chakara and hand signs."

"I mean how'd you learn it." Naruto was still an impatient brat.

"From my family scroll. The Hatake's are and were lightning masters. Now if you have nothing better to do than bother me, I suggest you go and leave me and peace.

Naruto glances at Sakura before glaring at Kakashi. "You think you're the only one to lose something important? In case you don't remember, we lost Sasuke." His voice was angered.

Sakura was having trouble fighting the urge to punch him. "You idiot. Hokage-sama said not to mention him."

Anko moved and looked into Kakashi's eye. Tentatively, she reached out a hand to touch his face, but before she could, he clenched his fist and in a dangerous, low voice said, "At least Sasuke is alive. My mother died, this village killed my father, Obito died to save me, Rin disappeared and now Anko. And you know what hurts the most? She was right there, right next to me, and I couldn't save her. Now go away."

_That's right._ She pulled her hand back. _I'm missing…_

Sakura took a step closer to them… him. "Kakashi sensei… we're still here.

His eyes blazed in fury. "You're still here? Why the fuck does it even matter?!" His fist met with the trunk of a charred tree, shattering the weakened wood and leaving a deep hole. "Just go away and leave me alone!"

Anko's eyes widened. Had he just sweared?

Naruto recovered from the blow first. "It matters because we're your students! And if there was anything we could do, we'd do it! Pulls yourself together man! Don't you give up, or else you aren't fit to have been the student of the 4th Hokage!"

_Wow, for once he said something useful._

Naruto was met with another mind chilling glare. "You're a fine one to talk! I lost my sensei because of the demon fox, and you lost your right to a childhood and parents! Just go train with Jiraiya so you because fit to call yourself… " Anko stared at him in horror. Kakashi had almost given away Naruto's lineage.

Gently, she stroked his cheek. She couldn't feel him. He however, feel a bit better somehow... and took a few breaths to calm down his aggravated nerves.

Sakura walked to him. Gasping, she exclaimed, "Kakashi sensei, you're hands are all burned!"

As she turned them over and began using her healing jutsu, he winced. "That's what happens when you use lightning jutsu's for the first few times."

"Fit to call myself what!?" Naruto fortunately forgot his sensei had been ready to rip him limb from limb only moments ago.

Kakashi smirked beneath his mask and Naruto could tell, they h ad learned to read his emotions by his eyes long ago. "I guess now, you're the 7th Hokage and Konohamaru is the 8th. That is, if the 6th decides to appoint you."

Naruto's yell was so loud Anko covered her ears. In the Hokage's office, Tsunade heard it, although, miraculously, none of the villages did. Jiraiya, who was coming to drag Kakashi back if needed heard as well.

"WHAT THE HELL KAKASHI-SENSEI!?"

Anko smiled. As much as she liked to scare him, she was fond of the boy. Blinking back tears of the life she was forced to leave behind 12 days ago, she moved over Kakashi. In the distance she heard the gears of locks being turned. It was time to wake up. As Jiraiya appeared on the crest of a hill, Anko wrapped her arms around Kakashi's neck and buried her face in his chest. "Kakashi…" she was fading, the noise was becoming more real. "I love you."

For a brief moment, it felt like she was there, like they could see here, like she could feel him. She faded from her dreams slowly, until the grating of metal pulled her completely away from the one she loved, and crashing back into the world of reality and the fate that awaited her.

* * *

Wow, this was a long chapter, by my standards. well i'm slowly getting longer and longer chapters. I hope you guys liked this one and if you didn't notice, the beginning part is Anko's point of view. Not much happened other than Anko's thoughts and her dreaming about some of the happenings in chapter 5. It may not seem that important but it is!

﻿No one has guessed her captor yet, though there's only been 3 guessed. 2 for Orochimaru and 1 for Itachi. Feel free to vote.

Sorry this chapter took so long, but with school and having multiple stories going it's hard to keep up. Also i changed this one quite a bit before i posted it. Hope you enjoyed it. -DHUnleashed

Next time: Kakashi makes the decision about becoming Hokage.

Constructive Criticism is very welcome.  
Please no flaming. If you have the time to insult my writing, then you have time to go write something better. So :P


	7. Refusal

Ever since he almost gave Naruto's lineage away, his heart had been beating faster. Kakashi listened to it race. He never felt like this, unless Anko was close to him, was talking to him, was kissing him.

Inside, he was chuckling. Naruto had reacted just like he expected him to. Should he tell the boy, he wondered. Not about his father of course he wasn't ready to hear that but about Tsunade's request that he follow in her footsteps as Hokage.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Jiraiya coming down the hill. He started to turn to look at the man, but then he felt a pressure around his neck and against his chest. "Kakashi…" The voice was quiet ad sad. More importantly, the voice was Anko's. He looked down at his chest, but saw nothing. "I," He saw a faint outline, then her tear streaked face. "Love you." She smiled slightly at him.

He went to wrap his arms around her hardly visible self, but just as soon as she appeared, she was gone once again. "Anko… I love you too," he whispered to the empty air.

His fist tightened. Screw the Hokage, with or without her permission he was going after her. He blazed past Jiraiya and headed for the Hokage's office. He had a word or two to say to her.

Naruto had disappeared after yelling at Kakashi. He walked right past the ANBU outside her door and into her office without so much as knocking. She was looking out the window. He slammed a fist down on her desk, careful not to break it. If he did that, he would be dead before he could ask.

She turned around. "I know you want to go… Oh, hello Naruto. I'm expecting Kakashi any minute now. Would you mind coming back?"

"I'm not leaving till you tell me who the 6th Hokage is!" He sat down in a chair and crossed his arms stubbornly.

Tsunade sighed and frowned at the boy. "That is none of your business Naruto."

"I want to know who is crushing my dream!"

"Excuse me? Last time I checked it was my decision who became the next Hokage. Anyways, it's time for the next generation to take charge, the generation before you."

"But Tsunade baa-chan."

"What did I say about calling me that!?"

"Heh heh…"

His life was saved by Kakashi walking in the door. Before Tsunade could speak, he cut her off. "No."

Her eyes hardened. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"Exactly what I said. N-o, no. I refuse and you cannot force this upon me." His face, well eye, was completely serious.

"What about the 4th Hokage's wishes?" Truth was, she didn't want him out of the village because the Akatsuki was moving.

"He was my sensei, and a good one at that, but this time I cannot obey his orders. Nor will I obey yours. I will go with or without your permission. Konoha ninja or missing-nin, rain or shine I am going after her."

"I cannot allow you to leave without a valid reason, nor can I allow you to refuse."

"Refuse what?" Naruto was looking at them like the idiot we all know he is.

"Ok, here's a perfectly good reason. Anko."

"Kakashi." Her gaze hardened even more. "That is not a valid reason."

"On the contrary, Hokage-sama." He seemed to throw that last word at her. "We don't know where she is."

"A reason for you to stay."

"A reason for me to refuse. Hokage-sama," again, the word was thrown back at her like an insult. "Whoever kidnapped her would hold a large amount of power over me, even more so than you. I wouldn't be able to sit back and let her die. Konoha would fall to ruins." He looked at Naruto. Grabbing him by the scruff of his collar her dragged him to a window, opened it, and threw him out. "This is a conversation between a Hokage and the one refusing to follow in her footsteps. Not for a boy dreaming of it." With that he closed the window and turned his back to it.

Out side they could hear Naruto screaming. "WHAT!? YOU'RE TURNING HER DOWN! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU KAKA-SENSEI!?"

Tsunade frowned again. "That boy really doesn't understand ideals. Her eyes widened in shock. Kakashi had just yanked his mask down and pulled his forehead protector up.

"I told you Hokage-sama," It was extremely weird. Kakashi was talking… and she could see his mouth moving. "I'm completely serious. Whether you agree or not, I'm leaving." He turned to go.

"Kakashi," He turned back and felt his heart stop. Tsunade was holding something out for him. "Jiraiya found this... I'm sorry."

"She's not dead." He pulled his mask up. "And I'm going to find her." Taking the necklace in his hand, he held it close to his heart and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Why?"

His eyes were full of raw emotion. "She's my best friend. Her life has been hell. It was never suppose to be this way and because... I was born."

"What does you being born have to do with this?" Tsunade wished he would just say it.

"I was born to tell her I love her."(**A/N:** ok, that was kinda cheesy... but i was listening to the song Your Call by Secondhand Senerade and yeah XD) He closed the door behind him and proceeded past the started ANBU who had never seen his sharingan before and jumped across rooftops to his apartment where he began packing.

* * *

Anko was pulled from her dream by her cell door opening. She squinted from the bright light that fell through the open doorway. This time, however, her captor was not among them. Two men entered. Both tall, but one was thin and the other burly.

"What do you two want?" she asked. She just wanted to be alone with her misery. They didn't answer. One produced a key while the other held a syringe. "Oh joy, needles." Apparently the men weren't fans of sarcasm. At least she could go back to her dreams now, as her world went dark.

When she awoke, she was slung over someone's shoulder. Well, she wasn't really awake, she was only vaguely aware of her surroundings. They were careful, no leaves, no branches, no blades of grass touched her. Their cloths would most likely be burned after this. She would leave no scent trail for someone to follow.

Struggling, she opened her mouth slightly and let a drop of blood fall somewhere on the forest floor below. Drip, drip, drip. By the time they reached… well their destination, her tongue was swollen with bites and the taste of blood lingered in her mouth. _At least_, she thought. _I left some trail… Now I can only hope someone finds it_.

* * *

Placing one last item within his back, Kakashi closed the top. He didn't care what happened to him. He would get Anko back, and thanks to the 4th Hokage, he now had his power back, the power to save her from whoever had stolen her away.

Konoha was his home, and would always remain in his heart, but his true home was wherever Anko was. Determined to find her, no matter the cost, no matter how long it took, he hefted his backpack and walked out of his house, for what could very well be the last time for many, many days. Who knew, perhaps it would even be years.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that's Anko fro you. As resourceful as ever XD. So yeah.. you people still don't know who her captor is! Bwahameah! -- yeah. thats my evil laugh. its suppose to sound weird. Anyways.. this is where the guesses now stand:

Orochimaru - 4  
Kabuto - 2  
Itachi - 1  
Akatsuki- 1

[if i forgot yours im sorry!... though i dont think i missed any.] Sorry about not keeping up to date! I jump arond to different stories when i'm writing and school keeps me busy. I hope, i repeat, i hope! to have the next chapter up by next Wednesday, but no promises. :D -DHUnleashed


	8. An Old Friend

Hope was slim for Kakashi as he walked towards the end of the trees. Within seconds he would be a missing-nin, a rouge nin, no longer a faithful servant of Konoha. He didn't care. He walked past it without a second thought of returning without Anko. Little did he know, that this was exactly what a certain someone was hoping for. (May your screams of anger and destruction against me go unheard for all eternity bwahaha because said person is NOT Anko's captor.)

* * *

The two men stopped outside a seemingly solid wall. With a few hand signs, a door was revealed. With a few more, the other man began glowing white as well. _A jutsu... That's why I can't sense their chakara!_ thought Anko.

She was thrown down on the ground, leaving smudges of blood on the rock. _Odd... I thought I wasn't suppose to be found. That's like a beacon, or... a trap! Great. Now I'm bait._ Her thoughts were cut short as she was knocked swiftly over the head.

----------

Her body sagged against the rock and the two ninjas looked at one another. Orders were orders, but these orders were odd none the less. Taking a kunai from his weapons pouch, the smaller ninja left a few long, but shallow cuts on her arms and legs.

With a heave, they opened the door and dragged her body down the dimly lighted passageway, leaving a trail of blood in their wake.

* * *

Kakashi started his search at the lake, following the scent trail back to where Anko had disappeared once again. Sharingan activated, he scanned the area, focusing to see the tiny bits of chakara Hinata had mentioned.

Then, he stopped. Who was he trying to fool? What was he trying to prove? He didn't have a clue where to go except for nearly microscopic bits of chakara.

He heard rustling.

Alert, he spun around to see Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata.

His eyes narrowed. "If you're here to arrest me, good luck. I will not hesitate to injure you severely. (Notice how he won't kill them XD)

Sakura held up a scroll. "We have a mission, to search for any leads related to the disappearance of Anko Mitarashi, special jonin and exam proctor of Konoha." Kakashi's face relaxed slightly.

"Where to Kaka-sensei?" Naruto asked with his trademark grin and determination.

"We start in that direction," He pointed East. "Towards the wave country. We move slowly so I, we can follow the tiny bits of chakara." Sakura nodded, Hinata activated her byakugan and nodded as well.

Slightly relieved, only slightly, that he was not a rouge ninja, Kakashi led the team east.

* * *

Anko awoke to find herself chained once again and her arm throbbing slightly.

She was seated on a cold stone bench, her arms chained above her head. Her legs were free, but a metal band wrapped around her waist, securing her to the wall. Freedom was, once again, beyond her grasp.

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes, there was no sense in worrying about the inevitable.

Some time later the door... a door? It was hidden within the rock wall, seemingly from both sides to keep it from being discovered by intruders. Her face fell into a scowl. "What do you want with me? And what do you want with Konoha? Surely one of your... stature... would not waste his time there unless their was something to gain."

A chuckle emanated from the man. "Less than you know.. less than you know."

She continued glaring at the short man. "What could you possibly gain from kidnapping me?!" she shouted angrily. "It's not like I was involved in some top secret mission."

A sadistic smile formed on the man's bandaged face. From his pocket he drew a bag, opening it to reveal over a hundred gold coins. "I do not care what happens to you, but this money will fund my efforts to pull Konoha from the under the feet of it's king."

"Is that why you murdered the Uchihas? Because they stood in your way?!" She fought uselessly against her bonds.

His face hardened. "Enjoy your solitude for I have matters to return to." The door swung shut behind him, leaving Anko in complete darkness once again.

* * *

They were running, not leaping from tree to tree so that Kakashi and Hinata could follow the trail of flickering chakara bits. It was hard work for Hinata, but she focused her best, but still only saw tiny flecks of blue at times. Moving made it harder to see them, but she refused to give up.

No longer was she weak and helpless, she would help Naruto and his sensei find Anko. She wouldn't let them, herself, of Kurenai-sensei down.

* * *

*Crack* Anko bit her lip, hard, to keep from screaming as she wrenched forward against her chains, trying to break free. Gathering her breath and fighting the pain, she summoned her fragile supply of chakara to her stomach and heaved again, this time breaking the bond to her waist and tumbling to the floor. She lay panting on the floor, luckily the chairs that still bound her bloodied and chaffed wrists here long enough to let them lay flat on the ground, else-wise her arms could have easily been dislocated when she fell of the bench.

Trying to get up again, to not be beaten, she winced. Her body had long since been bruised by her attempts and final success to freeing herself, but by now it was broken too. Broken wrist, bloodied leg, and now, she suspected, cracked or broken rips. She tried will all her strength to get up, but the pain shooting through her body was so much for even her to stand through, especially with significant blood loss.

Her arms managed to life her torso a few inches above the ground before failing beneath her. She let out a ragged breath, then the world around her faded to black.

* * *

They had been traveling all day towards the Land of waves. They were 30 minutes away from the Land of Waves and had lost the trail. Kakashi's course had taken them North of the Great Naruto Bridge. With a sign Kakashi admitted defeat. The trail was gone. Apparently, they had taken extra precautions as they neared the end of their travels.

He turned to tell the team they would head to the village for the night when his nose caught a wiff of something, blood. Bending down, he found a tiny drop of blood on a leaf. Typing a band around the small sapling to mark it's location, the plucked the leaf and held it up to his sharingan, inspecting it.

It was the blood of a ninja, that much he could tell. The blood had minuscule traces of chakara mixed in, meaning the person could control and manipulate it. Lowering it to his nose, he sniffed it carefully. It was no use, With the salty air he couldn't smell much. Placing it safely in a special compartment of his weapons bag, he called the team back together.

"I might have found something, but I can't tell. We head for the village where we will spend the night and examine it." They took to the trees, leaping and making good time. As they leaped, Naruto chattered to Hinata.

"You know that C mission that turned to an A because of Zabuza?" The girl nodded. "Well, that's where we're going." He thought for a second. "Hey Kaka-sensei?"

"Yes Naruto?"

"Can we visit the old man?" Kakashi nodded and Naruto continued retelling the mission story to Hinata. Just as they were coming the the Naruto had just about finished. "So we were leaving and the old man Tazuna named the bridge!"

Hinata had listened politely the whole time. "Wow Naruto, you we're really brave."

"That's why the bridge is the Great Naruto Bridge, not the Great Sakura Bridge." Said comment earned Naruto a punch in the face.

"Naruto you Baka!" Sakura was glaring angrily at him.

"Heh heh... sorry Sakura-chan." Sakura turned away from him.

"Naruto-kun are you all right? Hinata helped him up."

"Yeah I'm fine Hinata-chan."

Unknown to Naruto, Sakura was smiling a little, remembering that first important mission and how far she'd come. Back then all she could do was hold a kunai, now she was a gifted medical-nin in training. Sure, she had a long way to go, but she could already heal flesh and set bones, as well as punch a boulder to pieces.

Kakashi sighed. "Come on Naruto, I'm sure everyones tired from today and we have a long day of us tomorrow, especially if what I found is Anko's."

"Hai!" Naruto followed Kakashi across the bridge.

(10 minuets later)

"Hey old man!" Naruto yelled at the figure.

Said figure then turned to look at him. "Naruto, Sakura, Mr. Kakashi, how nice to see you again."

Naruto frowned. "Whats up old man? Are you like not drunk for once?"

"Why you brat!"

Sakura held Naruto in a choke hold. "Sorry about that Mr. Tazuna. We were passing through and needed somewhere to stay and this was the closest village."

"Well, you're welcome here. You're welcome in the whole village!" Tazuna said with a loud chuckle. "Come on in. Inari will be glad to see you."

* * *

Kakashi didn't come down for dinner. He wasn't hungry. After taking the leaf from his bag, he'd summoned Pakkun.

"Yo Kakashi. Any luck?" Kakashi held the leaf up then near Pakkun's nose. Inhaling deeply, Pakkun sniffed the blood.

"Anything?" Kakashi asked nervously.

"Defiantly human, uses chakara, so a ninja." Sniffing again Pakkun continued. "Blood Type A, female, 5'7, 101 pounds."

Kakashi frowned. "It it Anko's?"

"Can't be sure."

Kakashi's eyebrow twitched. "You can tell all that, but you can't tell if it's Anko's?!"

Pakkun raised a paw to silence him. "My man, you are whipped. Do you honestly think blood can tell me the height and weight of a person? I have a baka for a master."

"Why you!" Kakashi grabbed at Pakkun, but the dog disappeared.

With a resigned sigh, Kakashi placed the leaf under a glass to keep it safe and laid back, staring at the ceiling, deep in thought.

----------

Unknown to Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura were worried about him. After dinner, they had sat outside with Tazuna and told him about their mission.

Tazuna shook his head with a sigh. "The world so so full of pain. Our village has been free for two years and already people have forgotten that Gato once held us in fear. For that we thank you. I'll keep my eyes open for that girl, but I doubt I'll see anything."

A dark blur flew from the house. Naruto got up to follow, but Sakura stopped him. "Naruto, let Kaka-sensei be. This is worse for him than when we lost Sasuke."

"How?" Naruto, no matter how tall he gets or how great his fighting skills become, is still a dunce.

"With Sasuke, you fought to keep him here. Kaka-sensei was to late to stop him." Naruto nodded grimly. "With Anko, Kaka-sensei was there. He stood next to her. She was right behind him, close enough to touch, and then she was gone. He blames himself Naruto, even more than with Sasuke."

With a resigned sigh Naruto sat back down. "Sometimes, I hate when you're right Sakura-chan."

And for once, Sakura resisted the urge to punch him.

----------

Kakashi couldn't take it anymore. He hated just sitting here, just waiting, doing nothing, so he left. Through the window and into the cool night air. He didn't know where he was going until he got there.

Standing on a hill, looking down over the bridge, Kakashi bend his head in a silent gesture for those departed. The sword gleamed as it had the day it had been placed there, over the corpse of its wielder.

Yes, Kakashi Hatake was a ninja, and yes he was a fighter, a killer, but everyone deserved a second chance to atone for their wrongs. Once in his life, Kakashi would have scorned those who thought this, would have killed Zabuza and Haku without a second thought, but Obito had changed him.

"Please," he whispered to the graves. "Help me get her back alive, help me to save her when I cannot find the strength." He could almost hear their voices.

"Copy-nin Kakashi asking for help, oh how the mighty have fallen. I can't believe I lost to you."

"To be a true ninja, you need something, someone to protect. Without that, we are tools, we are servants to greed and power."

Bowing his head, Kakashi paid his respects once again, then followed wherever his feet led him.

----------

Back at Tazuna's house, Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata had returned upstairs. Hinata, being the observant one, noticed the leaf under the glass. Walking over she quietly told the others. "I think this is what kakashi-sensei found." Gently lifting the glass, she examined the leaf.

"It's a drop of blood," Sakura confirmed.

"What's that got to do with anything?" complained Naruto.

"Baka!" Sakura clonked him on the head.

"Um... what about a trail?" Hinata asked nervously. (Yeah... Hinata has a part in this story.. to some extent.)

Sakura nodded. "If a ninja is bound, leaving a blood trail is an effective thing to do."

"That must hurt." Naruto swirled his tongue around in his mouth. He couldn't imagine biting it until it bled.

Sakura glared at him. "Well, Naruto, whoever took Anko-sensei also leaves no chakara trail, so what else can you do?"

"Die?" He said sullenly.

Hinata and Sakura's eyes widened in shock and fear.

Naruto slowly turned around to find Kakashi back. Taking his jumpsuit collar in his hand, Kakashi glared angrily at him. "Never," he hissed. "Say that again. She will not die and if she does so help me I will bring her back just to kill her myself."

* * *

**gokovsveqeta---- You see that name, the name right there. This chapter is dedicated to them. 'Why' you might ask, well I'll tell you why. Because they ruined my fun!!! They guessed Anko's captor... ON BOTH LEVELS!! I mean yes, it was Danzo... but it was also me because I'm the one sitting here typing for your enjoyment. t.t so yeah. Congrads... YOU CRUEL PERSON!!! -pouts in the corner- ruining all my fun...**

**Orochimaru - 5  
Kabuto - 4  
Me - 2  
Itachi - 1  
Akatsuki- 1  
Sasuke - 1  
Danzo - 1  
OC - 1**

**-sigh- bwahahahaha But, I leave you with another guessing game! I mean who's the person who was counting on Kakashi leaving?!?! Well you'll NEVER guess this one. And no, It's not Orochimaru or Kabuto. BWAHAHAHAH I'M EVIL AGAIN!!! COOKIES!!!! r.r and that was NOT an invitation for you all to start guessing again. bleh.**

**Ok, so sorry this chapter took so long but i rewrote parts like 5 times because i didn't like the way i did something... I'm still not 100% sure of it either. I have ideas for the next chapter, but yeah..**

Constructive Criticism is very welcome.  
Please no flaming. If you have the time to insult my writing, then you have time to go write something better. So :P

**Next time: Will Kakashi and the gang get to Anko? The appearance of a mysterious person! and more of Naruto's stupidity!**


	9. All or Nothing

When it rains, it sometimes pours. When it pours, hopes can be lit and hopes can be destroyed. This particular night, they were destroyed.

Kakashi awoke to the pounding of thunder, the flash of lightning, and the earsplitting crack of falling trees. Bolting upright, he stared, he glared out the window at the violent storm outside. Another flash, another crack sounded, filling the air with static electricity. Kakashi's senses tingled with the new energy. Eyes flashing, he was out the window without a thought of the team sleeping next door.

----------------

Anko woke, startled, to find herself soaked. Blinking, she looked around to find the cell floor covered in water and the ceiling leaking. Struggling against the pain, she lifted her body off the floor and onto the bench. She would try the door later, but for now she needed a plan. She knew for a fact Danzo wasn't coming back, but the question remained: Who was?

----------------

Thunder booming overhear, Kakashi worked his way through the underbrush, following the faint blood trail before it was washed away forever. With every minute passing it was getting weaker and weaker. Forcing himself to move faster, he pushed through the bushed with his sharingan blazing through the darkness. Even with his replenished chakara, he was beginning to tire.

Crossing a clearing, he found the trail fainter, weaker, almost as if it was ending. He ran, he was close he could almost feel it in his bones. Then he did feel it, running smack dab into the bottom of a stone cliff.

"Oww" Kakashi groaned. Walls of stone hurt, especially when you ran into them.

Someone laughed. Kakashi whirled to find a figure cloaked in black standing a few yards away where the rock wall jutted out. "Who are you!" His mask concealed his face.

A flash of lightning, dark to light. A flash of red, red to black. A flash of white, light to dark. A scream of agony, a fallen figure.

Darkness, emptiness, Nothingness, hopelessness. Kakashi floated between dream and reality, truth and untruth, the past and the present. Something seemed wrong, but at the same time, everything seemed perfectly fine.

"Kaka-sensei." The voice was distant.

"Kakashi-sensei?" a lower, quieter one.

He fell back into reality, or what he hoped was reality and groaned. His head was pounding, his mind was foggy. Shifting slightly, he cracked his right eye open. Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata stood before him.

"Sensei, what were you doing out here?" Sakura knelt beside him. "What happened?"

He looked around. He was in the spot he last remembered with one difference, the masked being was gone. Blinking, he stood up. "I followed the blood trail here. Last night it was pouring and I didn't want to lose it. I came through the bushes here, saw a cloaked and masked figure, then... nothing."

He frowned. "Wait a second..." Walking over to the cliff face, he pushed aside some vines and with a swift kick, knocked in a door.

"How'd you know that was there Kaka-sensei?!" Naruto was mad about not being the one to notice it.

"I just know. Like how I know going right leads to a dead end, but if we go right we end up in the main complex. It would seem our masked figure is on our side." With a quick look at the three, he started down the passage at a quick, but silent walk.

----------------

A scream of agony echoed through the cell. Her blood chilled and the sound echoed in her ears for long moments despite the stillness. Slowly, she relaxed her muscles. There was no since in being tense. She has to be calm, she had to be ready.

----------------

They moved slowly through the corridors, Kakashi guiding them. He didn't know who the masked man had been, or even why he was helping them, but that didn't matter. What mattered, Who mattered, was Anko. If Kakashi believed in a higher being, he would have questioned why they let one person carry such a burden. Anko had never done anything wrong.

Ok, so she'd done some wrong things in her life, but who hadn't? They were ninja. They lived by the code, but sometimes that code had to be broken for the sake of the village, for the sake of those you fought for. Still, Anko's childhood had been a living nightmare. But then again, his hadn't been all rainbows and sunshine.

All was quiet, all was still except for the occasional drip of water on the floor. Feeling along the wall, Kakashi felt a door. Opening it quietly, he found what appeared to be an old storage room for weapons. This was good, they were on the right track.

Motioning to the team to follow him, he continued down the hallway, being led by some internal map that had been bestowed upon him. Maybe someone was looking out for him after all, god or not.

----------------

Tap.

Someone was approaching, slowly.

Tap.

Focusing her chakara, Anko could just make out the sounds of quieted footsteps.

Tap

She slowly pulled herself into a sitting position upon the bench.

Tap.

Her pride wouldn't allow her to appear weak. If it was an enemy she would need the bench's support.

Tap.

Looking around, she spied a jagged rock and grabbed it.

Tap.

There was nothing else in the cell that could possibly be used to defend herself.

Stop.

All was quiet.

----------------

Kakashi continued down the hallway, following not only the map within his mind, but the faint trail of blood still on the floor, not yet washed away by the flooding rains. His feet made light taps on the ground, but he made no effort to quiet them. He sensed no one. He stopped in front of what looked like an ordinary wall. With a deep breath, he placed his hand on the door, through the concealing jutsu and placed his hand on the door knob.

Gesturing for the team to stand back just in case, he turned the knob and...

* * *

CLIFFY OF DEATH!!!

Woah Yet again sorry it took so long to update. But i finally sat my ass down in front of my computer with part of this that i had written during school and wrote and wrote. :D Second update today! Now i just need to go update Movi Uchiha then get a start on the next chapter in this story which i' have planned and it's going to be super long... i hope. Wooo! -parties- ... back to work now XD

Constructive Criticism is very welcome.  
Please no flaming. If you have the time to insult my writing, then you have time to go write something better. So :P

**Next time: The Door. In the Words of Charlie the Unicorn:**

**Charlie:** What is the Door?**  
**

The Door is everything!All that once was and all that will be!  
The Door controls Time and Space! Love and Death!**  
**The Door can see into your mind!**  
**The Door can see into your SOUL!

**Charlie:** Really, th-the Door can do all that?

Heh, no.


	10. ANBU Intervention?

People always say 'It was quiet, too quiet' when describing a situation in which what comes next is virtually unknown or when there are multiple predicted out comes, only one of which you pray for it to be. As overused as the saying it, it greatly reflected upon Anko's situation.

The footsteps had stopped outside her cell door. She was certain it wouldn't be Danzo, but then... who could it be? Faces, images, voices all floated through her mind. Kakashi, it could be him. He said he would find her... but then who was she to believe that? It's not like she'd expected to be kidnapped right then and there. All she knew was that _he_ has sworn to take her back one day, willing or not.

She didn't deserve to be found; she didn't deserve Kakashi's steadfast friendship. He deserved someone better, someone who wasn't so... disrespected, so... wounded, so... cursed, so... broken, bleeding, tormented within.

She hid it well, she hid it from everyone. The curse mark burned on her shoulder ached with every passing day and within her mind, her subconscious, she felt the stirrings of her former sensei, twisting, turning, trying to make her believe in him one again. It whispered to her when she slept, only to be staved off with endless practice and utterly exhausted sleep.

The door knob on the outside turned, she could hear the slight grating of metal on metal as the doorknob slowly turned, as the deadbolt slowly slid open. Then it stopped, the knob carefully turned and the door slowly being pushed open.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Anko let out a silent plea to whatever god, if any, who looked after her.

She had often thought about death as a child. As a child of two ninja parents who had been killed, it seemed logical. When she returned, when the curse mark was sealed, she had vowed to die before she ever let Orochimaru take her back into his service. But now, when it could possibly be him on the other side, she wasn't sure she was ready to die just yet. At least... not without taking him with her.

----------------

Kakashi's hand found the doorknob. His team slightly back in case of the worse and he began turning the knob. Easing it slowly, he listened to the deadbolt turn until it 'clicked' open. Slowly, he pressed his side up against the door and began easing it open, his sharingan focused on the growing gap between the door and the wall for any signs of movement.

An inch, two inches. Nothing. Three, Four. Nothing. Five, Six. A drop of liquid, of blood. Seven, Eight. More Blood. Nine, Ten. Smears of blood. Someone had lain there and recently. Eleven, Twelve. The edge cold stone bench against the wall. His eyes peered at the small edge he could make out against the cold, bone chilling darkness. His heart thudded loudly in his chest, frighted of what he might see.

----------------

The door crawled open, inch by inch. A foot open, then it swung to reveal the darkness behind and a darkened figure. Squinting against the light now burning in the hallway, she could make out three more figures behind.

"Hello Anko."

"Go to Hell."

-----------------

Moving slowly, and with knowledge of Anko's quick attacks, Kakashi swung the door open to reveal... an empty room.

-----------------

"Hello Anko." The voice was just as slippery and secretive as before.

"Go. To. Hell."

"Now, now, is that any way to treat the man who taught you?" he said, a teasing, gloating edge to his voice.

"You mean the man who cursed me you bastard?" she spat back. "I told you before and I'll tell you again. I won't serve you!"

"Anko, You don't have a choice."

"Like hell I don't! I won't serve you!"

"My dear, who said anything about serving me? You think after all the energy you put into killing me, I would trust you?" With a motion of his hand, a figure, kabuto she realized, stepped forward. His hand glowed with the blue blaze of chakara as he placed his hand on her forehead. "All in good time Anko, all in good time."

Black engulfed her vision, but not her mind. While she couldn't see or move, she could still think. Her wit had saved her before. Maybe it would save her again.

* * *

An empty room, an dist feeling. And empty feeling, an empty room.

Kakashi just stood there. An empty room. The single sentence loomed within his mind, tormenting him as he stood there.

Empty...

You're to late Kakashi, she's gone.

You'll never see her again.

So much for protecting those you love.

Another fail for the great copy-nin.

Can't even protect those closest to him.

Let her go when she was right behind him.

He's a failure as a son.

As a ninja.

As a teacher.

As a friend.

As a Being.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" His fists pounded into the ground one after another. "Damn you! Damn you! DAMN YOU!"

Punch after punch, blow after blow. Hinata winced as she saw drops of blood splattering when his knuckles hit the ground time after time. Naruto stood wide-eyes behind him at his sensei. Kakashi rarely showed much emotion in from of anyone, let alone his students. The students, he had taught to spy, to hunt, to follow, to guard, and to kill.

Sakura blinked, surprised that a gaping hole hadn't appeared in the floor yet. Sure, he'd created a crater, but a man of Kakashi's strength should have broken through already, even without chakara enhancement. Her analytical mind was calculating.

"Kakashi-sensei stop it!" Grabbing his arms, she pulled him away from the floor to inspect it.

He hissed at the contact, but let himself be moved. Reaching into his supply bag, he pulled out bandages and wrapped them tightly around his knuckles.

"Kami damn it...." His whispered voice faded to silence and his eyes widened in shock. "Oh Kami..." Without a word, he turned and raced back into the labyrinth of mazes, following a scent trail almost to subtle to detect. Subtle... and recent.

----------------

Anko's POV

Lists are good for many things. In this case, weighing the good up against the bad.

Good Fact No. 1: I am no longer in Danzo's 'possession' as a prisoner.

Good Fact No. 2: I am no longer chained to a stone wall.

Good Fact No. 3: I am no longer inside a nearly impossible to find stone cell, chained to said wall.

Good Fact No. 4: Although Kabuto supposedly knocked me out, I have retained my ability to think logically and rationally.

Good Fact No. 5: My broken and/or cracked ribs have been set. They have also been bandaged.

Good Fact No. 6: My wrists have been cleaned and bandaged alone with my ribs.

Good Fact No. 7: Despite being kidnapped by that scum Danzo and now a prisoner to my former sensei, I am in fact still alive.

Bad Fact No. 1: I'm currently held captive by my former sensei, Orochimaru.

Bad Fact No. 2: My body, except for my mind, is completely useless. I cannot move, I cannot see, and I cannot fight or defend.

Bad Fact No. 3: I can assume that Orochimaru is keeping me under a constant guard. Judging by movement, I can also assume I'm being carried by Kabuto who could knock me out with one touch.

Bad Fact No. 4: Sasuke is here. I don't know why he went to Orochimaru, although I guess it was for power, but it won't be easy to get away from him and his sharingan.

Bad Fact No. 5: A woman is here as well. I think I've seen her in my bingo book. .... Karin.. I believe that's her name.

Bad Fact No. 6: I have absolutly no idea where I am at the present time. If I could see, perhaps I might find out, but I highly doubt Orochimaru would be foolish enough to give me back my sight where there's a chance I could escape.

Bad Fact No. 7: I don't know why Orochimaru has taken me. I left him all those years ago, and he let me go, he let me think he abandoned me. Had he wanted to, he could have taken me with him. Why? Why now?

Bad Fact No. 8: I'm alive. Alive, secrets of Konoha can be taken from me. Alive, I am of use to Orochimaru. Alive, I am a liability to Konoha, to my home. Alive, he can hurt my best friend.

----------------

3d Person

Kakashi jogged through the labyrinth of passages and corridors, taking care not to lose the faint scent trail. Somewhere behind him, Hinata, Naruto, and Sakura were following him. Then he slowed to a brisk walk. He smelt something new now; fresh air.

The scent was stronger now and closer, much closer. As he neared the doorway, he stopped, letting his non-sharingan eye adjust to the brightness of the outside world. When he stepped into the outside world, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

He was on a grassy cliff. He had exited the passageway to see a figure dragging a weapons pouch towards the edge. Said pouch was being dragged by a band of cloth; a leaf headband.

"Stop!" What was this person doing with Anko's pouch and headband? Where was Anko? Refusing to believe the worst, he focused his sharingan on the figure.

Naruto and the rest came to a stop behind him, gasping for air. It had taken them some time to discover which way their sensei had gone. Naruto's hand pointed at the figure. "Who are you?!" he demanded.

Slowly they turned, revealing a cat-like mask and ANBU garb. "Do not interfere with my mission." The voice was void of emotion, almost as if it was an automatic response. "If you do, I will be forced to arrest you. If you resist capture, I will be forced to terminate you."

Something in Kakashi's mind clicked. "You don't want to do that." Hinata flinched at the harshness in his voice.

"Do not interfere with my mission."

"I will interfere as I please. What you are disposing of is crucial to MY mission involving a missing jonin."

The ANBU turned, seemingly oblivious to Kakashi's plea. With a flick of their wrist, the headband and weapons pouch sailed over the edge of the cliff.

"SAKURA!" Kakashi barked. On command, Sakura ran and leapt after the items. The ANBU moved to stop her, but Kakashi stood in their way. "Who gave you this mission?" he demanded.

"Stop interfering or I WILL bring you in."

"What is wrong with you?!" he yelled at the ANBU. "This isn't right," he murmured to Naruto and Hinata. "The ANBU shouldn't be on this type of mission. They should be more reasonable too."

"Things have changed since you left Kakashi-sensei. Stop interfering."

"Just who are you!" Naruto was childishly pointing his finger at the ANBU again. "And Kaka-sensei, you never told us you had another student!"

"I don't."

"But... they said..."

"I haven't for a long time." He fixed his sharingan on the mask. Unsurprisingly, he couldn't see through. ANBU masks were protected against identification. Lunging for the ANBU, he managed to grab onto their mask and pull it away. Said ANBU, who was a little, if not a lot, perturbed by the fact a mere jonin managed to remove their mask glared.

"WHUT!?" Naruto found him staring at the face of a girl who was at least 3 years younger than him, if not more. "She's an ANBU?!"

Kakashi frowned at the girl. "I thought I told you to stay away from ANBU. I'm disappointed in you."

"You are NOT my father. I'll do as I please." Her voice was calm, but everyone except Naruto could detect a hint of anger. She shifted into a fighting stance. "You will stop interfering."

"You'll do as you please? Last time I checked, little girls didn't run around playing assassin and disrespecting their elders."

"Why does she keep saying interfering with the mission?" Naruto whispered to Sakura, who has returned with Anko's belongings.

"Because that's what we're doing nitwit."

Without warning, the girl lunged at Kakashi, kunai in her hand and the intent to kill. Metal clanged against metal as Kakashi's own kunai blocked the attack. Naruto, being the idiot of the group, decided to help his sensei out since the girl was holding her own against the taller, stronger man. His fist flew towards her face. The punch was stopped in mid-air by a hand; Kakashi's hand, not that it was really needed. The girl had dodged the would be attack with ease.

"Kaka-sensei?" Kakashi dropped his hand and turned towards the girl.

"Something isn't right. She shouldn't have attacked me. She wouldn't."

"People change sensei," Sakura said gently.

Kakashi let out a distorted laugh. "Sure, people change. Hell, people change every day, but she isn't the same little girl who looked at me years ago and told me The White Fang of Konoha was a hero."

Hands flew through signs faster than the eye could detect and her eyes widened. Seconds later, she slumped into Kakashi's awaiting arms.

----------------

Her eyes felt heavy. She was sitting, that much she could tell. With some effort, Tsuki managed to crack an eye open. What she saw, was definitely not what she expected. As soon as she saw that familiar masked face, she was sitting on her knees, and her hand was behind her head in the same manner Kakashi's was when he was thinking something difficult to explain over.

"Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing here?" She blinked and looked at the three gennin behind him. "OMK MY MISSION!" She jumped up only to have Kakashi place his hand on her shoulder.

"Tsuki, who gave you that mission?"

She frowned. "Danzo... who else? Why is this important? Why did you try and stop me..." she trailed off remembering the conversation that had happened before Kakashi used his Mangekyo sharingan. "Oh dear... this isn't good. What am I going to do. I mean I'm expected to carry out my missions... but why did Danzo know that Anko was here.... and why did he want me covering up evidence? Not good, not good at all."

Naruto had this strange look on his face. It was the face he often used when he talked about Anko. "Is that the same girl who attacked Kakashi-sensei 5 minutes ago?"

"Yes Naruto." Sakura was annoyed, but who wouldn't be? Naruto was so stupid sometimes.

"Talk about bi-polar."

Tsuki froze and turned to him. "Did you just call me bi-polar?" Her eyes were menacing.

"Um... help?"

"I am NOT bi-polar. Come to think of it why did I attack you sensei?"

"Why, Tsuki, would I know that? And I am no longer your sensei so please stop calling me that."

"You never were my sensei anyways, not officially... I don't even know why I attacked you. Something in my mind just told me to. A little voice inside my head..."

"Is she crazy?"

Tsuki shot him a Death glare. "I am NOT crazy! I may be a little eccentric boy, but I could kick your ass to the moon and back without a second thought."

"We'll see about that." Sakura grabbed his ear. "OWWWW. Sakura, let me go!"

"She's ANBU. You don't stand a chance."

Tsuki's eye widened. "The ANBU."

"You're an ANBU." Sakura stated.

"Yes, but thats not what I mean." Grabbing her mask from the clearing, she fastened it over her face. "I'll explain later but I need to talk with Tsunade-sama right away!" She hugged Kakashi. "I need to talk with you later sensei. Sorry about this whole thing." Without waiting for a reply, she stepped of the edge of the cliff.

"WHAT!?" Naruto ran over, but she was gone. "How did she do that?" He looked expectantly at Kakashi.

"How should I know?"

"You were her sensei."

"Not in the literal sense of the word. Now, we're wasting time." A drop of blood and a few hand signs later, Pakkun appeared in a poof of smoke.

"Yo. How can I help Kakashi?"

* * *

Yeah.... i dunno.... my mind has started wandering. I wrote the very last line of this story today. Who knows how i'm going to get it there.... the whole thing where Kakashi said "she isnt the same little girl... bla bla bla" is from a fanfic im somewhat working on about my OC's, tsuki's, past.... yeah.

Reviews are nice.... they help my near non-existent motivation to continue this story. So if you think it's worth the effort to click that button, type a word or two, and hit submit... please do...


	11. Even the Best of Us Can Fall

-Hides in a corner- I know. Over a month without updating is awful, even for me. My other fics haven't been updated in forever either. Well here's the next chapter. After this there will be 1-2 more, but not to many. Thanks to everyone who's been patient with me and I hope you enjoy this chapter. -DHUnleashed

OH! and special thanks to kakankofan93 who caught me watching Bones rather than updating and made me feel guilty.

* * *

2 Days Later

Kakashi, Hinata, Sakura, and Naruto stood before Lady Tsunade with grim expressions. "Kakashi," she snapped. "Report!"

"The mission was a failure."

"Well those are 5 words I never expected to come out of your mouth. Explain yourself."

"It wasn't his fault!" He shut up at a stern look from Kakashi and a glare from Sakura.

"Orochimaru wasn't behind the initial kidnapping, but at an old hideout, he did retrieve her. We arrived and found an empty smell. There were three scent trails leading from the cell. The faintest from when she was brought there, and two more recent. Following the newest, I found Tsuki trying to dump Anko's belongings over a cliff. Has she been to see you yet?"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "No she has not." Without a warning, Tsunade yelled, "TSUKI!"

A puff of smoke later and Tsuki stood in the room with them, civilian cloths on. "Yes Hokage-sama?"

"Kakashi tells me you were throwing Anko's belongings over a cliff when he found you."

The girl frowned. "Found me? But Hokage-sama, my mission was in the Land of Grass."

"WHAT!? We saw you there! You don't fool us!"

"She skeptically eyed the boy in the orange jumpsuit. "I believe Kakashi-sensei, but…."

**-Flashback-**

Tsuki was close to Konoha when she suddenly stopped moving. She blinked. Mission… she had been on a mission. Remove evidence… What evidence? She blinked again. She had been on her way to see the Lady Hokage. Why? With a frown hidden beneath her mask, she walked slowly towards the village, a big cloud of 'Why' hanging over her head. Despite her ANBU skills, she failed to notice another ANBU hidden within a tree, eyes focused on her and a jutsu being released.

**-End Flashback-**

She frowned. "I remember being in the Land of Grass."

"Tsuki, Come here now." She complied. The Hokage's hands glowed with chakara and she placed them on either side of the girl's head and closed her eyes.

5 minutes. For skilled ninja it could take mere seconds to dispose of a target. For 5 minutes Kakashi and the others stood waiting as the Hokage's eyes remained closed and Tsuki's remained unfocused and clouded.

With a sigh, the Hokake removed her hands and Tsuki shook her head back and forth. "Your memories have been tampered with."

"WHAT!?"

"KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN!"

"Sorry Hokage-sama, but it seems odd that someone could tamper with my memories. Even more so that I can't remember it happening or even the actual events that occurred. I mean I remember Kakashi-sensei from way back when and I was all of 3 years old. I remember things before then as well."

"Whether you believe it or not Tsuki, your memory has been changed. You're free to go."

With a bow to the Tsunade, a bow to Kakashi with a quick '"sensei", and a glare at Naruto, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Please continue your report Kakashi."

"We prevented Tsuki from disposing of these." He placed Anko's headband and weapons pouch on her desk. The headband was badly dented and there were drops of blood on the weapons pouch. "Then I summoned Pakkun and we continued to follow the trail."

**-Flashback-**

_A drop of blood and a few hand signs later, Pakkun appeared in a poof of smoke. "Yo. How can I help Kakashi?"_

"Anko was here recently."

"I've noticed."

"Pakkun, now is not the time to be pert now get moving."

Pakkun lead the way back into the maze of corridors until they reached sunlight again. With a long sniff he glanced at Kakashi before running once again.

"There are 6 people including her." It wasn't a question. It was a fact.

"Yeah. You guys are in for a hell of a fight."

"Can you tell who exactly?"

"Anko, Orochimaru, Kabuto… the one I've never smelt before."

"That's four. Who's the 5th?" When neither Kakashi nor Pakkun answered, Sakura had to ask them. "It's Sasuke isn't it?"

Kakashi nodded as Naruto clenched his fists. "We will bring him back this time."

"We'll try."

Kakashi sniffed the air. "We will not attack."

"What!"

"Naruto! You will listen. There are 4 of them. One of them is a Sannin. One is a highly advanced med-nin. One is Sasuke. The other two are unknown. The odds are not in our favor. We sit, we watch, we wait, and we do not get caught. Our mission now is to gather information."

Naruto opened his mouth to object, but then closed it and nodded.

"Now everyone mask your chakara."

**-End Flashback-**

"I take all responsibility for this mission's failure." Tsunade's eyebrow rose.

"The woman I had never smelled before was a sensor. I should have known, but I was distracted by my desperate need to save Anko. She knew we were coming."

"Orochimaru has gained more followers."

"I'm sorry I failed Hokage-sama."

"Kakashi, this isn't your fault."

"Yes it is. What's the point of having this much chakara if I can't protect those who matter?"

"You can't save everyone," Tsunade gently said, trying to calm the young jonin.

"I can't save anyone. I've failed Obito. I've failed Rin. I've failed my master… I've failed him so many times." He glanced at Naruto. "I've failed my father. I've failed to save my own student from the same path I nearly went down before Obito saved me. I've failed Anko. And now, I've failed you."

In a flash, Tsunade grabbed him and pressed him up against the wall by the collar of his jonin vest. "Everyone makes mistakes and everyone fails, especially ninja. You think I've never failed? What about Dan? What about Nawaki? I failed Sarutobi-sensei many times. Hell, I've probably failed more than you. Now stop feeling so kami-damned sorry for yourself and get your act together. This village needs you and you know what, Anko needs you too. She isn't dead. We _will_ find her. We will get her back."

Still holding his collar, she dragged him to her office door, opened it, and threw him outside. "Go do something useful! And don't come back until your done feeling sorry for yourself!"

At a glare, Naurto, Sakura, and Hinata bowed and quickly fled from the room.

**-Flashback-**

Anko had heard Karin say they were being followed. Hope fluttered in her heart, but as soon as it came, it was gone. Kabuto and Sasuke were setting up a long distance teleportation. They would be too late. She might never see her home or Kakashi again.

Even as these facts turned in her mind, somehow, she couldn't bring herself to feel more than a slight tug at her heart. She couldn't bring herself to feel sad. Yes, Konoha was losing a ninja, but she was only valuable in the eyes of her friends and the Hokage. The council never trusted her enough to make her a full jonin.

She'd done her best to live a life after Orochimaru, but he'd always had a hand on her shoulder, visible or not. The curse mark loomed over her as an ever present reminder her of the bastard sensei who had used her as if she was a piece or meat and not a human. Then again, Orochimaru was far from human. She'd call him a snake, but her summons would feel insulted and that didn't to justice to the horror of Orochimaru.

She felt as if she was being lowered, but she was still in the same position, thrown over Kabuto's shoulder. Dismay rose in her. Within seconds she would be gone, out of the reach of Konoha and completely at Orochimaru's mercy.

------------------

"Sasuke!" Karin called flintily. "You wana go do something now that this mission is over?"

"Hnn." He disappeared before Karin even reached him then set out to find Orochimaru in the vast Sound Village. He found him ordering around one of the medic-nins under his command.

"If you fail to follow these instructions exactly, I will dispose of you." His eyes narrowed and the medic-nin rushed off to follow orders before Orochimaru could rethink keeping him alive right then.

He turned to Sasuke. "What do you want?"

"Why'd you go through so much trouble for a mere Tokubetsu Jonin?"

His eyes narrowed at Sasuke and he began walking in the direction the medic-nin had ran off in. "This is not your concern."

"It is if it interferes with my training."

"It will not." He entered a room. The medic-nin, in great fear for his life, had already done his job and left.

The room was lit only by a greenish glow of the lights illuminating a tank filled with not water, but a liquid of Orochimaru's creation. It was a bit ironic. Anko was now in almost the exact same position Isaribi was once in, except an oxygen mask was strapped over her mouth and nose.

"What's the point of this?" While Sasuke normally didn't pay any attention of Orochimaru's 'scientific inquiries', this one puzzled him.

"She was the first to receive the curse mark and live. She is the only one who isn't loyal to me." His eyes focused on the curse mark, visible without her usual trench coat obscuring it from the view of scornful villagers. "She is also the only one who rejects my gift, who sees it as a burden rather than the powerful ability it is."

"Hnn." Sasuke left, apparently satisfied by the answer leaving Orochimaru alone with his former student.

"It really is a shame you rejected my gift. You could have been a great ninja."

"I already am." Her voice was faint due to the barrier of water and glass. Her eyes stared angrily at Orochimaru. "I am a great ninja."

He chuckled. "My dear Anko, Sasuke was right. You are a mere Tokubetsu Jonin. You are no greater than a simple chunnin."

"And who's fault is that?!"

"You could have sought be out after you realized that foolish council would never trust you again."

"Konoha is my home. I will never betray it." She moved to form hand signs, but nothing happened.

This liquid is chakara neutralizing. You cannot escape. The sooner you face that fact, the sooner you will stop wasting your time." Pressing the button in the room, he waited 10 seconds before Kabuto appeared.

"Yes Orochimaru-sama?"

"Put her to sleep. Her awake state displeases me."

"Yes sir."

Anko fought the fatigue falling over her to no avail. Her eyes slowly closed, millimeter by millimeter until all she saw was darkness and her mind floated into unconsciousness.

**-End Flashback-**

Kakashi moved slowly through the village, deep in thought. Tsunade was right. Everyone failed. He didn't feel sorry for himself exactly, he felt guilty that he'd been unable to save those weaker than him and those in need of saving.

His feet brought him to Anko's apartment building. She was gone. Her apartment would be for sale soon. With a heavy heart, he made his way upstairs. Unlike most people, Anko kept her key above the door frame, in a small section of wall she'd carved out. It was hidden by a self sustaining jutsu.

Key in hand, he opened her door and stepped inside. The air was cool and clean. Everything was spic and span, not a speck of dirt everywhere. Following the familiar hallway, he made his way to her bedroom. Hesitantly, he pushed the door open. While he'd been to her apartment numerous times, he'd rarely ever been in her bedroom except the few times she'd been in a drunken sleep. Even then, he hadn't done more than glance around the room.

He opened her closet. Inside hung her civilian cloths, chain mail shirts, a spare weapons pouch, and an assortment of weapons were placed on a few shelves. He found her knapsack and began packing away her things. He knew he should probably get boxes, but they seemed to final.

His apartment wouldn't hold both their things, but he wouldn't let her possessions be sold as if she was dead. A thought made its way into his head. He hadn't been there in years, but there would be room, plenty of room.

It was time, to face his childhood. He still owned his family house. He'd thought about selling it, but he didn't have it in him. Perhaps, it was time now, that he move back home. He replaced all her cloths and weapons in their respective spots. He'd pay her rent; he'd keep her apartment and move home. No one would be there to welcome him home, but when Anko did return, he would be sure to welcome her home with open arms, a smile, and an 'I love you.'

* * *

Um I hope you liked it. I tried to keep them in character, but I think Orochimaru was a bit OOC. Please bare with me. The next chapter... Hopefully it will be easier to write than this one, I think it will be because the gears are already turning.

I'm off to finish the last 1-2 chapters of Movi Uchiha then get working on Beyond Boundaries of Book Pages and then... I'm working on a crossover series with Harry Potter with Anko and Kakashi. For those of you who love the couple, it's not going to be full of fluff. There will be 'moments', but it's not full out fluff all around. It will take awhile to get started considering I need to reread the book. It will happen during year two and that's the ONLY book I can't find. -.- Anyways, time to get writing! -DHUnleashed


	12. Time Passes

Three months. It had been three months since Kakashi came back to Konoha without Anko. Hinata and Sakura were training again with their respective sensei and master. It was as if Naruto had never stopped in. Only Anko's missing presence was a reminder that the orange clad ninja had returned home for just a week.

Not much else had changed in the village. The older ninja and villagers had stared on with awe as the gates to the Hatake mansion were thrown open and the sole heir, the sole living member, walked through them.

His father's blood had long since been cleaned, but as everything else, the floor was covered in a thick layer of dust. Kakashi spent and entire two days cleaning the mansion before moving in for good. Finally settled, he left one morning before sunrise with only a handful of sharpened kunai. He returned that evening with a carved alter of sorts.

It was placed over the spot where he'd once found his father lying, his own blade driven into him. Upon it, now lay a picture of Sakumo Hatake, the scroll Minato had left for Kakashi, and his famous chakara blade. It was a crude alter, but it suited his father who'd always made him work hard to earn his stance in the world.

Anko's apartment lay untouched, just as he'd left it 3 months ago.

Kakashi's life consisted of missions now. He had no desire to stay in the village for more than a week at a time, the village full of constant reminders: her favorite dango shop, the bar they often met at, random points around the village that held precious memories. He took on mission after mission, A rank to some S rank.

Stepping into the Hokage's office, he closed the door behind him. Facing Tsunade, he stated, "Mission complete. Target has been taken care of."

"Very well Kakashi. You have three days rest, then report back to me and we will discuss if you will be taking another mission. Dismissed."

With a bow, he was gone, back at the Hatake mansion. Silence surrounded him as he made his way to his father's alter and kneeled before it, bowing his head in respect. "Another mission is complete father."

It was the same as the past times he had returned home. He remained at the alter until the sun had set before finally retiring to a bed roll on the floor of his old bedroom.

------------------

She was trapped, not just in Orochimaru's hideaway not just in that damn experiment tank, but in her own mind. After she had first woken there and talked to him, she was kept in a heavily drugged stupor. Sometimes, she could hear them talking in the room, but she was only barely awake and could only make out a handful of words within a whole conversation.

They were experimenting with her curse mark, she knew that much. The pain coursed through her body, radiating from her neck, every time Orochimaru came in the room, or she heard his voice, at least. How long had she been there? She really didn't know. It must have been quite awhile because the experiments were never close together. Kabuto had once said something about her body being too weak… what was that suppose to mean? She wasn't weak… but then again she was heavily drugged.

She wanted to die. The pain she could live with, but guilt was eating away at her. Some of Konoha's secrets were within her body, secrets Orochimaru could use against her beloved village and home. Even more so, Orochimaru had secrets within her body. Perhaps this was why he had 'reclaimed' her. So when she died, his secrets would not be discovered by Konoha if the elders found it somehow decent to evaluate, autopsy, the body of their own ninja.

She laughed internally. Of course they would find some way to. To the Konoha elders, she was just a traitor, a ninja who didn't deserve to make full jonin even after having passed all the tests and proving her loyalty time and time again. Hell, if the Uchiha ever returned, he'd probably get a better reception within a month than she did even after 14 years back in the village. Rotten luck, rotten talent, rotten choices, rotten sensei.

* * *

Kakashi awoke the next day to banging on his front door. Dressing quickly, he was at the door in two minutes, opening it to Kurenai and Asuma.

"What do you guys want?"

"To drag your sorry ass out of this house and your brooding."

"Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. I have plans for today." He attempted to close the door in their faces, but Asuma's foot caught it.

"Either you come with us, or I send Kurenai to get Gai. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to challenge his eternal rival to a day full of battles."

"Fine." Following them through the gate and closing it behind them, his mind thought of hundreds of ways to pay them back for this. All of them involved someone, not him, getting seriously hurt.

They made their way to a small restaurant and sat in a booth, both Asuma and Kurenai across from him. "What is this about guys?"

Kurenai looked at her hands then up at Kakashi. "Have you found anything? Have you heard anything? Have you seen anything? Asuma and I have been confined to the village training our teams for this years chunnin exams."

"Nothing but a whisper here and there of Orochimaru. And even then, the whisper hasn't been related to his whereabouts." Asuma's hand went to hers and gently cradled it.

Kakshi's heart twinged. Truth be told, he was happy for them, but it didn't sooth the pain he felt from Anko's disappearance. If anything, it reopened the wounds that had only just begun to heal. With a quick goodbye, Kakashi left before the server even asked for drinks. He had two days before he would take on another mission.

The rest of the day he spent around Konoha taking care of various errands. He dropped off his kunai to be sharpened. He visited Sakura at the hospital and determined how her training was coming along. He went to the ANBU headquarters to see if any tips or information concerning Orochimaru had surfaced. Some had.

Kabuto had been spotted in a small town about a days walk from Konoha. He'd been alone. A squad had been sent to apprehend him, but he'd vanished. So much for that lead.

At least the day was not completely wasted. Gai had found him, courtesy of Asuma and Kurenai, and demanded they spar. They'd spent over an hour trading blows. It had helped Kakashi blow off some steam. Perhaps tonight he would sleep more than two consecutive hours at a time.

-----------------

Anko did a slow circle looking around her surroundings. How had she gotten here? She was in the middle of a forest she'd never seen before. After trying to sense for chakara, she found there was none, not a drop, not even from her own body. How was that possible? Even villagers who weren't ninja had chakara within them. Birds had chakara, frogs had chakara, snakes had chakara, and even dogs had chakara.

Dogs… Kakashi… Where was he? How was he? She missed him, but she would deal with that later. First she had to find out where she was.

"Which way to go," she wondered out loud.

"Well," a voice said. "Wouldn't that depend on where you want to get _to_?"

Her head snapped up and her eyes narrowed on the spot the voice had come from. There was nothing. "Who's there?"

"Interesting…" the voice drawled. "The little girl can sense where we are."

"I'm not a little girl…" She looked down at herself. Somehow she'd ended up dressed as she had when she was Orochimaru's student, somehow she'd shrunken, and somehow she'd ended up in this kami forsaken forest.

She was TWELVE. Great. She'd lost her mind. Just what she needed. First she was Orochimaru's little test subject, now she was… free?

"Could you perhaps tell me where I can find a village or town?"

"I could." Again, she looked and saw nothing.

"Would you be so gracious as to direct me to the nearest village? Or, if it suited your fancy, would you please tell me what the closest village is and how far away my dear home Konohagakure is?"

"That's better." Now, she found herself gazing into two brown eyes. It was a monkey, hanging by its tail from the branch.

"Who are you?" Her curiosity was greater than her desire to find civilization now.

"Well, would you like to know who I am or would you like directions?"

She frowned. "If I chose one, will you tell me the other after?"

"Most defiantly no." The stupid monkey was grinning at her.

"Then I would like you to please give me directions. What is the closest village?"

"That would be the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

A smile lit Anko's face. "How do I get there?"

"Oh it's easy. You just have to do one thing." He swung to the branch over her head. Upside-down, his face, well his eyes, were level with hers. "Close your eyes." She complied. "Now, open them." She did and saw him.

"Is this some kind of joke?"

"Joke? No joke. You did it wrong."

She glared at the monkey. "How so?"

"Well, you closed your eyes, but when you opened them you forgot to do something."

"I think it's fairer to say you forgot to tell me to do something." Ok, this monkey was seriously pissing her off.

"Well, considering you magically became 12, I thought it would be obvious."

"Would you be hind enough to tell me?"

"Well considering I'm just a figment of your imagination," he shrugged. "Why not. Close your eyes." Once again, she complied. "Now open them and… wake up."

Before she could ask what he meant, her mind was shrouded in black and suddenly, she could sense chakara again. It was all around her. She could hear someone moving near her, on the other side of a wall. The chirping crickets told her it was nighttime. Her eyes were closed. A hard as she tried, she couldn't open them.

Giving up for the time being, she let her mind drift off into sleep, and hopefully not to that bizarre part of her mind where that crazy monkey lurked. Well if the monkey was in her mind and the monkey was crazy, then was she crazy too? It was food for thought, but food for another day when her mind wasn't so fuzzy.

* * *

AN: Ok well I was a bit faster getting this chapter up. The next chapter will be the final chapter is this story. Thanks to everyone who's review and who have reviewed constantly. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you enjoy the next one. -DHUnleashed


	13. The End of What Never Was

**WELCOME to the end of the end! Woo! or maybe it's sad... I'll leave that up to you folks. Enjoy! [I still don't own Naruto or any of the characters. If you thought I did, you need some help.]**

* * *

One more day, twenty-four hours, until he would, hopefully, receive a new mission and be once again out of the village. On a mission he could keep his mind clearer and focused. He spent the sunrise at the memorial stone until other jonin and chunnin began arriving at the training grounds for an early morning spar. Rather than risk being disturbed, he made his way back through the village towards the forest on the other side.

His mind was playing tricks on him. For the briefest of moments, as he passed the complex where Anko's apartment was, he thought he smelled her, but she hadn't been there for months. Early spring had passed bringing on a mid-summer that seemed to mock him. It was cooler than usual and the drenching rains had lasted this far. With a last glance at the complex he took off to the roofs, moving swiftly to escape from reality, even for a few hours or even a few brief moments. That and he saw Gai and was in no mood for another of his 'challenges.'

* * *

Anko woke slowly, her muscles sore and aching slightly from lying on the floor. Blinking, she found herself in her apartment. How'd she get here? She could have sworn she fell asleep in bed last night, not on her living room floor. A glance at her clock told her it was 8:17am. Grumbling, she made her way to the kitchen and found it… empty.

There was no food in her apartment except some instant ramen she kept for last minute missions. Sighing, she put some water on the stove. While waiting for it to boil, she hopped in the shower, feeling as if she hadn't bathed in a week.

The water was scalding hot against her flesh, causing her to wince at the pain. Looking over her body, she fond new scars and a few bruises she didn't remember having, or getting for that matter. Angling her back at the mirror, she saw three very red -somewhat due to the scorching shower- scratches. They were all about five inches long, but only deep to have drawn blood for maybe a minute tops unless pressure was being applied. Just starting to heal, they were maybe a week old.

Pulling on her civilian cloths, she tugged her hair into a low ponytail, much different from her normal spiky locks. It was just enough to keep it from her face. Getting ready had taken her all of seven minutes.

Pouring the now boiling water into the ramen, she let out another sigh, she seemed to be doing that a lot today, and wondered who'd made off with her food. It was probably another dare. Some stupid or drunk gennin or chunnin must have snuck in to prove his friends he could sneak into the crazy snake lady's apartment and live.

Well, they would pay later. This was her day off and she intended to relax to the fullest. Wandering into her closet for a bag, she stopped sharply. Some of her belongings had been moved around, but nothing was missing. Again, her mind reminded her that it was her day off. Grabbing a bag, she made her way out her apartment door. It was then she realized she didn't have a clue where her key was. Great, just great: another issue. Grabbing her spare, she locked the door and exited the apartment building.

Oddly, when a few ninja passes –no doubt on their ay to the academy or the Hokage's offices- they didn't greet her. In fact, they treated her just like a civilian. Fingering a lose strand of her hair that had come loose, another thought struck her. Her hair seemed to have grown four, maybe five, inches overnight. This day just kept getting weirder and weirder.

Making her way through the early morning crowd, she entered a small bakery she often visited with Kurenai. The air was rich with the smells of fresh bread, cinnamon, and freshly baking fruits. She left several minutes later with a bag of fresh croissants. Munching on one as she made her way towards the gate, she watched, amused, as villagers darted from shop to shop as a light misting rain increased slowly to steady droplets that pattered on the street and buildings.

She came to rest at the gate. No one was in sight except for Izumo and Kotetsu. Resting her bag on the ground at her feet, she leaned her back against the wall and pulled her fat more firmly on her head. 9:15, she was 15 minutes early.

* * *

Crickets chirped, birds trilled, wind whistles, and leaves rustled as Kakashi sat in the middle of a clearing, legs crossed and eyes closed. He breathed deeply, in out in out, showing emotions away. He was a tool of Konoha and tools don't feel, they simply do. They receive instructions and they follow them to the letter. In. Out. In. Out. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

An hour later, his mind was a blank slate, ready to receive the Hokage's instructions and focus on a mission. His feet set out towards the lake, despite his mind's command that he return to the village and prepare his belongings. The rain fell lightly on his cloths and hair as he walked. The animals from earlier had since taken shelter in their warm burrows or wooden homes. The rain poked and prodded at his heart until the emotions wheedled their way back to the front of his mind.

Greyish-blue water slapped gently on the beach just as it had those some odd weeks ago. Years, months; they didn't matter. Only days, hours, minutes, and seconds mattered. Target found, target hit, target disposed of, and the weapon returns. Another target, another mission, another kill. This is where the madness begins. To kill without regret, without feeling, is the way to insanity, the way to losing your own humanity.

With a heavy heart, Kakashi finally returned to the place he'd once found comfort and called his home. Now it was just a place as he was just a man; a shell that once helped protect those he loved, the one who failed to protect them in the end.

* * *

Anko's head jerked up. She must have dozed off. Rain still fell around her, only now the sky was darker; it was the calm before the storm. 10:47. Where was everyone? With a sigh, she stretched out the muscles in her back, wincing slightly as the newly formed skin on her back stretched a bit too much. Maybe they got called in last minute for a mission. After all, Izumo and Kotetsu were on gate duty.

Well, she might as well go home if no one was going to show. At least then she could fully relax and restock her now empty kitchen. Wandering down the main street in Konoha, she enjoyed the freedom of the day until she bumped into a stranger. They caught her arm to steady her, preventing her from getting a huge wet spot on the back of her dress.

"Oh sorry." Her hat had fallen forward on her head, blocking her view of his shoulder and head. His feet were clad in simple ninja, close toed sandals and his pants were black as night. His long sleeve shirt covered his arms until it met two gloves marked with the Konoha symbol at his wrists. Except from his knuckles (from what she could see) no skin was showing.

"Hnn." Wait. She knew that voice. Pulling her hat back, she found herself looking up at a familiar masked face. His eyes (well eye) were cold and dull.

"Kakashi, is everything all right?" When she gently placed a hand on his arm, he immediately stiffened. His gaze dropped to her face and his eyes widened in horror. "Kakashi?"

"Stop tormenting me." The woman looked just like Anko, sounded like Anko, smelled like Anko. He'd gone insane.

"Wait, what are you talking about Kakashi?" She attempted to take a step closer, but he lurched away from her.

"Be gone ghosts. Haven't I suffered enough?" Then he was gone, across the rooftops, making a beeline for the Hokage's offices.

Anko stood, blinking, for a moment wondering what was going on. Kakashi looked different. Had someone died? Well, she'd sure picked a bad day to wear civilian cloths, and a dress at that. She couldn't use the rooftops. Quickly, she began weaving her way through shoppers, making through the crowded streets towards the Hokage's office. She had to find out what was wrong.

* * *

Kakashi ran across the roof tops as if his life depended on it. His mint was taunting him now. He had to get out. He had to get away. His heartbeat pounded in his ears as he entered the building. Forcing himself to take deep steady breaths, his heart slowly stopped the pounding inferno. Just as Kakashi was rounding the corner to the stairs, a voice called out behind him.

"Kakashi!" To his great relief, it wasn't the ghosts haunting his mind, but Kurenai with Asuma following her. "Where have you been all morning?"

He shrugged. "Around." Nervousness was starting to creep up again. All he wanted was a mission.

"Aren't you early for a mission?" Asuma looked him up and down. "What happened to you? You look like hell,"

"Really crappy day. I _need_ a mission. I _need_ to get out of here. My mind has started playing tricks on me."

"How so?"

"I could swear I saw Anko earlier."

"You're not alone." Kakashi looked at Kurenai, disbelieving. "I spoke with Izumo and Kotesu earlier. Someone with purple hair was at the main gate this morning, as if they were waiting for someone."

"It was probably some traveler." Kakashi didn't want any false hope.

"They didn't see her come in yesterday and she isn't registered as a visiting civilian. She's a ninja, although, I don't understand why they didn't check in. They pass themselves off very easily as a 'normal' civilian."

"Does it matter?" His eye was skeptical. "They haven't done anything."

"They have done anything _yet_." Asuma put in.

"That's unneeded speculation. Excuse me; I need to speak with Tsunade now." He vanished up the stairs.

"Come on Kurenai, there's no use bugging him." He took her hand in his and led her outside.

"Oh, excuse me." A woman nearly crashed into Kurenai. "I wasn't watching where I was going, I do apologize." She bowed quickly, never glancing at their faces, hers was obscured by the hat she wore, and then moved slowly, but still a brisk walk, down the hallway.

"That was odd."

"I think she was who Izumo saw earlier. But what's she doing here? Maybe it's a transformation jutsu and they're on a mission for Tsunade."

"Come on Kurenai, I'll buy you lunch."

* * *

Once out of the sight of Kurenai and Asuma, Kakashi hurried along to Tsunade's office. "Shizune, I need to see the Hokage!"

She eyed him suspiciously. "Aren't you scheduled to see her tomorrow?"

"I'm going crazy. I need a mission, please." He was desperate.

"Well… okay. But if she gets mad it's all on you head."

"Fine, fine." He brushed past her and into Tsunade's office.

The Hokage was sitting behind her desk actually filling out paper work. Hey, even Tsunade can't avoid it forever.

"Kakashi, you're early, very early. Why?" She was in one of her sake withdrawal moods, meaning she was more prone to violence. Kakashi gulped.

"I need a mission. I'm going mad in the village."

"Oh." She put down her pen and folded her hands in her lap. "Define going mad."

"She's everywhere. I thought I smelled her, I thought I saw her." He stared at a bug on the window behind Tsunade, keeping his voice even and calm.

"Anko?"

His eyes flicked to her face. "Who else…" Whatever else Kakashi had to say to convince Tsunade he needed a mission, was cut off by a scream.

* * *

Anko hurried towards Tsunade's office. She had to find out what was going on with Kakashi and why so much seemed to have changed overnight. In her haste, she nearly moved someone over. "Oh, Excuse me." She hastily bowed her apology. "I wasn't watching where I was going. I apologize." She hurried on, walking a bit slower. Ahead, she heard the door to Tsunade's office close, so she slowed to a normal walk.

Stopping at Shizune's office, she eyes the Hokage's door across the hallway. "Excuse me Shizune; is the Lady Hokage in right now?"

Shizune didn't look up. "She's meeting with one of the jonin right now."

"Is something wrong with Kakashi?"

She snorted. "Where've you been for the past three months."?

"Suna for the chunnin exams."

"Those ended over three months ago."

Anko frowned. Three months ago? What was going on? "Well, what's wrong with Kakashi? He looked like he'd seen a ghost."

"No kidding, he came running to see Tsunade-sama. Apparently he's in desperate need of a mission." She looked up, but couldn't see Anko's face beneath the hat she wore. "Who are you anyways?"

"Why doesn't anyone recognize me? Are these cloths and hat really that different than what I normally wear?" She pulled her hat off and swept her hair out of her eyes.

Shizune took one look at her face and screamed.

Anko leapt back and plastered herself against the wall. 'Stupid. I should have at least brought some kunai. A ninja must be prepared for everything.' Tsunade and Kakashi burst through the open doorway and immediately assumed defensive positions.

"Shizune, report!" Tsunade barked. A shaky finger pointed at Anko.

"Hey! What'd I do?!"

"Anko..." Tsunade's eyes widened and she stood up, but her body was tense, ready to fight if needed.

"Why is everyone looking at me?"

"How'd you get here?"

"I walked. How else would I Tsunade-sama?"

"How'd you get into the village?"

Anko gave her a funny look. "I never left. I woke up this morning same as always, in my apartment. Except today I woke up on the floor for some reason."

"Were you by the gates this morning?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why does it matter? What's wrong with you all?!"

"Anko, just answer the question."

She signed. "I thought today was the day you gave most of the jonins off, but Shizune said the chunnin exams ended over three months ago when I clearly remember being in Suna only a week ago."

Kakashi, who hadn't moved since Shizune had pointed to Anko, slowly stood. "I need some air." Then he was gone, out Shizune's window, no doubt going to the top of the Hokage's faces.

"Anko."

"Yes Tsunade-sama?"

"What day is it?"

"April 17th." It wasn't quite a question, but it wasn't a statement either.

"It's July 23d." Anko sagged a bit against the wall before pulling herself upright and walking to sit on the couch.

"July? What happened?"

"I was hoping you could tell me."

"I woke up this morning and thought it was April. I've got nothing except bruises, scars, and a few cuts I don't remember having." At Tsunade's raised eyebrow, she stood and turned, pulling down the back of her dress to expose the tops of the cuts.

"You don't remember having these?"

"I think I would remember cutting myself on my back. Plus, they're already healing so they didn't just happen yesterday."

"Nothing?"

"Sorry Hokage-sama. Until Shizune screamed, I didn't know anything was out of the ordinary." She sat back down. "I just thought it was my day off so no one would be looking for me."

"Do you feel any different?"

"No, Why?"

"Anko, you're calm. You're being polite. You aren't freaking out or yelling."

"Gommen. It's an act. A mask if you will. A mask that's been on so long I forgot how to take it off. When I returned to the village, everyone held it against me that I had foolishly followed Orochimaru. Why be quiet and sad? It would never get me anywhere. They never did respect me, so why should I care what they think of me. I fell into character, hyper, obnoxious, crazy... and it helped. I didn't care what they thought of me anymore. I'm me, that's all I'll ever be."

She looked at the ceiling. "I spent years being someone I wasn't to hide from the pain. It went on too long, I couldn't be me again." She laughed. "I became the crazy snake lady of Konoha. I don't know why, but when I woke up today, I was... me."

Kakashi listened quietly in the corner. He'd returned, feeling a bit calmer after the whole situation arose. He felt light than he had in awhile, like the burden of her kidnapping had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Gommen Tsunade-sama. I wish I could be more useful, but it's just... nothing. When I left Orochimaru, I knew it was missing... I knew I'd lost if, but now it's like it never happened."

"Orochimaru removed your memories once. It's logical to assume he perfected his technique. Do you mind if I examine you?"

"No."

Tsunade placed her hands on either side of Anko's face and closed her eyes in concentration. Chakara gathered to her hands and she focused on Anko's mind.

Twenty minutes later, the chakara glow dimmed, then vanished. Tsunade let out a sigh and rubbed her temple. "Nothing. Your mind is a blank slate Anko."

"I didn't expect much. Tsunade, what's been happening in the village?"

Kakashi couldn't bare it. He left silently out the door and wandered the village in search of answers that would never come.

* * *

Later, Anko was finally released from questioning, not that she could answer many of them to begin with, and with a weary mind, she headed home. "Anko!" Kurenai grabbed her up in a hug.

"Hey Kurenai. How've you been?"

"How have I been? How have you been?! I mean, you were the one missing."

"I can't remember so I really can't know. Gommen, but I've had a long and confusing day. Lunch tomorrow?"

"Sure." She watched as Anko slowly walked towards her apartment. Her keen, red eyes saw a scarcely visible figure standing on the roof, watching Anko. She joined him.

"Kakashi." He nodded in greeting. "You could follow her you know. She may have disappeared for three months, but you're still her best friend. She needs you to help her through this."

"Look at her Kurenai. Does she look like she needs help? This is the second time it's happened to her."

"Only this time, you can help her…"

"Kurenai!" He cut her off. "Does she look like she needs help? She's doing fine without me. She's happy, she's safe, and she's home. What else is there?"

"Love."

He looked at her with a serious black eye. "A word of advice Kurenai, You can't fix what isn't broken. If you try, you just might break it beyond repair." And he was gone. He still had a mission to receive. He was a ninja of Konoha and would see it shine in the glory of its king.

* * *

**A/N: T.T yeah… kinda a pathetic ending but I'm against rainbows and sunshine and weddings and parties and stuff at the end of a story about NINJA. I mean there are times where it's ok, but this is not one of them. So if you're unhappy… deal with it! My story, my ending.**

**Mkz so I've been getting really stressed with school so I've decided to start a crazy project. I'm taking a whole bunch of Disney movies and goofing them up with Kakashi and Anko. Why? Because it makes me laugh while writing them and it's fun. Right now I'm working on Beauty and the Beast. Watch for it please =)**

**Anywhos… it's been fun writing this, even with some writers block thrown in. Til next time –DHUnleashed.**


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